A headland, also known as a head, is a coastal

landform A landform is a natural or anthropogenic land feature on the solid surface of the Earth or other planetary body. Landforms together make up a given terrain, and their arrangement in the landscape is known as topography. Landforms include hills, ...

, a point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water. It is a type of

promontory A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water (in which case it is a peninsula). Most promontories either are formed from a hard ridge of rock that has resisted the erosive forces that have removed the so ...

. A headland of considerable size often is called a cape.Whittow, John (1984). ''Dictionary of Physical Geography''. London: Penguin, 1984, pp. 80, 246. . Headlands are characterised by high, breaking waves,

rocky shores A rocky shore is an intertidal area of seacoasts where solid rock predominates. Rocky shores are biologically rich environments, and are a useful "natural laboratory" for studying intertidal ecology and other biological processes. Due to their ...

, intense erosion, and steep sea cliff. Headlands and

bays A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a narr ...

are often found on the same coastline. A bay is flanked by land on three sides, whereas a headland is flanked by water on three sides. Headlands and bays form on discordant coastlines, where bands of rock of alternating resistance run perpendicular to the coast. Bays form when weak (less resistant) rocks (such as sands and clays) are eroded, leaving bands of stronger (more resistant) rocks (such as chalk, limestone, and granite) forming a headland, or

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

. Through the deposition of sediment within the bay and the erosion of the headlands, coastlines eventually straighten out, then start the same process all over again.

List of notable headlands

Africa

*, Mauritania * Cap-Vert, Senegal * Cape Agulhas, South Africa, Africa's southernmost point *

Cape Bojador Cape Bojador ( ar, رأس بوجادور, trans. ''Rā's Būjādūr''; ber, ⴱⵓⵊⴷⵓⵔ, ''Bujdur''; Spanish and pt, Cabo Bojador; french: Cap Boujdour) is a headland on the west coast of Western Sahara, at 26° 07' 37"N, 14° 29' 57"W ...

, Morocco *

Cape Correntes Cape Correntes (sometimes also called "Cape Corrientes" in English) ( Port.: "Cabo das Correntes") is a cape or headland in the Inhambane Province in Mozambique. It sits at the southern entry of the Mozambique Channel.• Cape Correntes was hi ...

, Mozambique *

Cape Delgado Cape Delgado ( pt, Cabo Delgado) is a coastal promontory south of Mozambique's border with Tanzania. It is the arc-shaped delta of the Rovuma River and was created from sediment deposited by the Rovuma as it empties into the Indian Ocean. It is som ...

, Mozambique *

Cape Juby Cape Juby (, trans. ''Raʾs Juby'', es, link=no, Cabo Juby) is a cape on the coast of southern Morocco, near the border with Western Sahara, directly east of the Canary Islands. Its surrounding area, including the cities of Tarfaya and Tan-T ...

, Morocco *

Cape Malabata __NOTOC__ Cape Malabata (french: Cap Malabata; es, Punta Malabata; ar, رأس ملباطا, ''Ras Malabata'', or ''Rās al-Manār'', "Lighthouse Cape") is a cape located about east of central Tangier, Morocco, facing the Strait of Gibraltar. Th ...

, Morocco *

Cape Spartel Cape Spartel ( ar, رأس سبارطيل; french: Cap Spartel; ary, أشبرتال) is a promontory in Morocco about above sea level at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, 12 km West of Tangier. Below the cape are the Caves of Hercules. ...

, Morocco *

Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...

, South Africa *, Tunisia, Africa's northernmost point

Asia

* Beirut, Lebanon *

Cabo de Rama Praça do Cabo de Rama is a medieval hillfort on the coast of Canacona, Goa. History In the 1760s, the Portuguese gained control of Cabo de Rama after the Raja of Soonda surrendered his territory to them in return for protection against Hyder Ali ...

, Goa, India * Cape Dezhnev, Russia *

Cape Comorin Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...

or Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India * Cape Engaño, Philippines *

Coconut Tree Hill Coconut Tree Hill is a lateritic headland in Mirissa, Sri Lanka located adjacent to the Indian Ocean. It is a popular tourist destination in the country and is located at a headland with a coconut plantation. Coconut Tree Hill, despite being ...

, Mirissa, Sri Lanka * Indira Point, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Europe

* Beachy Head, England *, Portugal, the western tip of mainland Europe * Cap Gris-Nez, France * Cape Arkona, Germany *

Cape Emine Cape Emine ( bg, Нос Емине ) is a headland located at the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. It is located south of Varna, north of Burgas and south of Obzor. It forms the tip of Stara Planina. Cape Emine is said to be Bulgaria's stormiest cap ...

, Bulgaria * Cape Enniberg, Faroe Islands *

Cape Finisterre Cape Finisterre (, also ; gl, Cabo Fisterra, italic=no ; es, Cabo Finisterre, italic=no ) is a rock-bound peninsula on the west coast of Galicia, Spain. In Roman times it was believed to be an end of the known world. The name Finisterre, like ...

, Galicia, Spain * Cape Greco, Cyprus *

Cape Kaliakra Kaliakra ( bg, Калиакра; ro, Caliacra) is a cape in the Southern Dobruja region of the northern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, which ends with a long and narrow headland east of Kavarna, northeast of Varna and southwest of Mangalia. The ...

, Bulgaria *

Cape St. Vincent Cape St. Vincent ( pt, Cabo de São Vicente, ) is a headland in the municipality of Vila do Bispo, in the Algarve, southern Portugal. It is the southwesternmost point of Portugal and of mainland Europe. History Cape St. Vincent was already sacr ...

Sagres Point Sagres Point (', , from the Latin ''Promontorium Sacrum'' ‘Holy Promontory’) is a windswept shelf-like promontory located in the southwest Algarve region of southern Portugal. Only 4 km to the west and 3 km to the north lies Cape S ...

, Portugal, the southwestern tip of mainland Europe * Cape Tainaron, Greece, the southern tip of mainland Europe *

Cape Wrath Cape Wrath ( gd, Am Parbh, known as ' in Lewis) is a cape in the Durness parish of the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It is the most north-westerly point in mainland Britain. The cape is separated from the rest of the mai ...

, Scotland * Dungeness, England *

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

, British Overseas Territory * Great Orme, Wales * Land's End, Cornwall, England * Mull of Kintyre, Scotland * North Cape, Norway, the northern tip of mainland Europe * Pointe du Raz, France *

St Bees Head St Bees Head is a headland on the North West coast of the English county of Cumbria and is named after the nearby village of St Bees. It is the only stretch of Heritage Coast on the English coastline between the Welsh and Scottish borders, an ...

, UK, the most westerly point of northern England

North America

Canada

* Cape Chidley, Newfoundland and Labrador/Nunavut * Cape Columbia, Nunavut, Canada's northernmost point *

Cape Freels Cape Freels is a headland on the island of Newfoundland, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and the location of a community of the same name. This cape, located at the northern extremity of Bonavista Bay, is not to be confuse ...

, Newfoundland and Labrador *

Cape Norman Cape Norman is a barren, limestone headland located at the northernmost point of insular Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Cape Norman first appeared on French maps as Cape Dordois, in 1713, and then as Cape N ...

, Newfoundland and Labrador *

Cape Spear Cape Spear (french: Cap d'Espoir) is a headland located on the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland near St. John's in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. At a longitude of 52°37'W, it is the easternmost point in Canada and North ...

, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada's easternmost point * Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick *

Leslie Street Spit The Leslie Street Spit, or officially the Outer Harbour East Headland, is a human-made headland in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, extending from the city's east end in a roughly southwesterly direction into Lake Ontario. It is about long. The Spit i ...

, Toronto, Ontario - man made landform

Greenland

Cape Farewell Cape Farewell ( kl, Nunap Isua; da, Kap Farvel) is a headland on the southern shore of Egger Island, Nunap Isua Archipelago, Greenland. As the southernmost point of the country, it is one of the important landmarks of Greenland. Geography Loc ...

, Greenland's southernmost point

Mexico

*, Baja California Sur, Mexico

United States

* Cape Ann, Massachusetts *

Cape Canaveral , image = cape canaveral.jpg , image_size = 300 , caption = View of Cape Canaveral from space in 1991 , map = Florida#USA , map_width = 300 , type =Cape , map_caption = Location in Florida , location ...

, Florida * Cape Charles, Virginia * Cape Cod, Massachusetts * Cape Fear, North Carolina * Cape Flattery, Washington * Cape Hatteras, North Carolina * Cape Henlopen, Delaware *

Cape Henry Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia located in the northeast corner of Virginia Beach. It is the southern boundary of the entrance to the long estuary of the Chesapeake Bay. Across the mouth of the bay to the north is Cape Cha ...

, Virginia * Cape May, New Jersey * Cape Mendocino, California * Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska *

Cascade Head Cascade Head is a headland and UNESCO biosphere reserve and United States Forest Service Experimental Forest. It is situated southwest of Portland, Oregon on the Oregon Coast between Lincoln City and Neskowin. Cascade Head Preserve is a Natur ...

, Oregon * Heceta Head, Oregon *

Hilton Head Hilton Head Island, sometimes referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and southwest of Charleston. The island is ...

, South Carolina *

Marin Headlands The Marin Headlands is a hilly peninsula at the southernmost end of Marin County, California, United States, located just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge, which connects the two counties and peninsulas. The entire area is pa ...

, California * Mount Mitchill, New Jersey * North Shore, Lake Superior, Minnesota * Point Reyes, California * West Quoddy Head, Maine

Oceania

View_from_North_Head_Lookout_-_panoramio

Australia

* Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia * Cape York Peninsula, Queensland * South East Cape, Tasmania * South West Cape, Tasmania *

Sydney Heads Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountains ...

, New South Wales

New Zealand

* Cape Egmont *

Cape Foulwind Cape Foulwind is a headland on the West Coast, New Zealand, West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, overlooking the Tasman Sea. It is located west of the town of Westport, New Zealand, Westport. There is a lighthouse located on a promin ...

* Cape Reinga * East Cape * North Cape *

Young Nick's Head Young Nick's Head is a headland at the southern end of Poverty Bay in New Zealand's North Island. The area is the landing place of the Horouta and Te Ikaroa-a-Rauru waka (canoe), waka which carried Māori people, Māori settlers to the region aroun ...

United States (Hawaii)

* Diamond Head, Hawaii *

Koko Head Koko Head is the headland that defines the eastern side of Maunalua Bay along the southeastern side of the Island of Oahu in Hawaii. On its western slope is the community of Portlock, a part of Hawaii Kai. Koko Head (at 642 ft or 196 m) is a ...

, Hawaii

South America

* Cape Froward, Chile * Cape Horn, Chile, South America's southernmost point *

Cape Virgenes Capes in the Americas Cape Virgenes ( es, Cabo Vírgenes, lit=Cape Virgins) is the southeastern tip of continental Argentina in South America. The southern one, a little to the south-west, is Punta Dungeness. Ferdinand Magellan reached it on 21 Oc ...

, Argentina

References

{{Authority control Coastal and oceanic landforms Coastal geography fr:Cap (géographie) gv:Kione çheerey hi:रास (भूमि प्रकार) tr:Burun (coğrafya)

List of notable headlands

Africa

Asia

Europe

North America

Canada

Greenland

Mexico

United States

Oceania

Australia

New Zealand

United States (Hawaii)

South America

See also

References