Cod Island is an uninhabited island in the northern coast of
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. It is located in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, in the eastern part of the country, 1,700 kilometers northeast of the capital
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
. The total area of the island is 133 square kilometres.
Early hydrographers referred to the island as Ogua-Lik. On March 7, 1957, the island received its current name.
Background
Cod island takes it name from the
Atlantic cod
The Atlantic cod (''Gadus morhua'') is a benthopelagic fish of the family Gadidae, widely consumed by humans. It is also commercially known as cod or codling.
During the 17th and 18th centuries in the New World, especially in
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
and
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
, cod became a major commodity, creating trade networks and cross-cultural exchanges.
Geography
Cod Island has hilly terrain with three of its peaks partially composing the
Kaumajet Mountains
The Kaumajet Mountains are a dramatic compact mountain range rising directly out of the sea on the northern Labrador coast. The mountain range has one peak, the highest island peak on the east coast of North America between the Caribbean and ...
. The island's highest point is 914 meters above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...
. It extends 15.7 kilometres in the north-south direction, and 15.4 kilometres in the east-west direction.
The area around Cod Island consists mainly of
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...
s. The area around Cod Island is almost uninhabited, with less than two inhabitants per square kilometre. The annual average temperature in the area is -5 °C.
Table Hill
Table Hill is a hill on the southside of Cod Island. The top of Table Hill is 819 meters above sea level, or 551 meters above the surrounding terrain. The width at the base is 6.1 km.Table Hill a /ref>
The island has two dome shaped hills besides Table Hill.