Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard
an island off SE Massachusetts: summer resort. 6000; 1083/4 sq. mi. (282 sq. km).

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Island, Atlantic Ocean, off the southeastern coast of Massachusetts, U.S. Situated across Vineyard Sound from Cape Cod, it is nearly 20 mi (32 km) long and 2–10 mi (3–16 km) wide.

It was first described in 1602 by Bartholomew Gosnold and was named for its wild grapevines. Purchased by Thomas Mayhew in 1641, it was considered part of New York before being ceded to Massachusetts in 1692. It was once a centre of the whaling and fishing industries; it is now a popular summer resort.

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 island of glacial origin off the southeastern coast of Massachusetts, U.S., 4 miles (6 km) across Vineyard Sound from the mainland (Cape Cod (Cod, Cape)). It accounts for most of the territory and population of Dukes county, Massachusetts.

      The island is some 20 miles (32 km) long, and 2–10 miles (3–16 km) wide and rises 308 feet (94 metres) above sea level at its highest point. Its coastline is characterized by numerous inlets and ponds sealed by sand spits from the sea. It was probably sighted by many early navigators but was first recorded in 1602 by Bartholomew Gosnold (Gosnold, Bartholomew) and Gabriel Archer; the two explorers named it for its many vines and for Martha, Gosnold's daughter. Purchased by Thomas Mayhew in 1641 and settled the following year, it was considered part of New York but was ceded in 1692 to Massachusetts. In 1695 it was incorporated into Dukes county (along with the Elizabeth Islands [west], Chappaquiddick Island [east], and the island called Nomans Land [or No Man's Land; southwest]). Early attempts at farming, brickmaking, and fish smoking gave way in the 18th and 19th centuries to the development of whaling and fishing enterprises based at Edgartown (inc. 1671), which once boasted the world's largest sperm-oil candle factory. The economy now depends on summer yachting and tourism. Martha's Vineyard is divided among the resort towns (townships) of Tisbury (with Vineyard Haven), Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Aquinnah (formerly [until 1997] Gay Head, so named for the multicoloured cliffs found there). Descendants of Wampanoag Indians that inhabited the island in the 17th century now live in Aquinnah, which features a historic lighthouse (1799; rebuilt in the 1850s). Martha's Vineyard State Forest is at the centre of the island. Area county, 104 square miles (269 square km). Pop. county (1990) 11,639; (2000) 14,987; (2005 est.) 15,553.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Martha's Vineyard — (spr. Marthäs Winjahrd, M. Weinberg), Insel im Atlantischen Ocean, zur Grafschaft Duke des Staates Massachusetts (Nordamerika) gehörig, 31 QM.; 3000 Ew.; auf ihr Edgartown, die Hauptstadt der Grafschaft …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Martha's Vineyard — (spr. winnjĕrd), Insel an der Südküste des nordamerikan. Staates Massachusetts, östlich von New York, 30 km lang, bis 18 km breit, 260 qkm groß, von Buschwald bedeckt, wenig fruchtbar, mit (1900) 4561 Einw., die teils von Fischerei, teils von den …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Martha's Vineyard — (spr. winnjĕrd), zum nordamerik. Staate Massachusetts gehörige Insel, 32 km lg., 9 km br., über 4000 E., Bäder. Hauptort Edgartown …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Martha's Vineyard — For other uses, see Martha s Vineyard (disambiguation). Martha s Vineyard Native name: Noepe Nickname: The Vineyard Map of Martha s Vineyard …   Wikipedia

  • Martha's Vineyard — Karte von Martha’s Vineyard Gay Head Cliffs auf Martha’s Vineyard Martha’s Vineyard ist eine 231,75 km² große Insel vor der Südküste von Cape Cod im …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Martha's Vineyard — Мартас Винъярд. Остров в штате Массачусетс, морской курорт. Island in the Atlantic Ocean, SE of Massachusetts, to which it belongs, forming the chief part of Dukes County. It is separated from the mainland by Vineyard Sound (ab. 5 mi. wide) and… …   Словарь топонимов США

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