Nantucket

Nantucket (năntŭk`ĭt), island, c.14 mi (23 km) long, from 3 to 6 mi (4.8–9.6 km) wide, SE Mass., lying c.25 mi (40 km) S of Cape Cod, from which it is separated by Nantucket Sound. Muskeget Channel is located between Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard to the west. Exhibiting evidence of glaciation (terminal moraine, outwash plain), Nantucket has sandy beaches and low, rolling hills composed of sand and gravel. It is sparsely vegetated; wild cranberries, heather, and wild roses predominate. Nantucket and the small adjacent islands constitute both Nantucket town and Nantucket co. Settled in 1659, the island was part of New York from 1660 to 1692, when it was ceded to Massachusetts. Nantucket was a major whaling port until the decline of the industry (c.1850), and it later developed into a well-known resort and artists' colony. The village of Nantucket is the trade center of the island and is known for its many old houses. The island has a whaling museum and an 18th-century windmill. The first U.S. lightship station (est. 1856) is located near Nantucket.

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Nantucket

Island (pop., 2000: 9,520), Atlantic Ocean, south of Cape Cod, Mass., U.S. It is separated from Martha's Vineyard by the Muskeget Channel. Of glacial origin, it has sandy beaches, a good harbour, and a moderate climate. Purchased from the Plymouth colony in 1641, it became part of New York and was settled in 1659, then ceded to Massachusetts in 1692. In the 1690s Quakers began arriving on the island. It was a whaling centre in the 18th century. The summer tourist trade is now its economic mainstay.