Tangier is a

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

on the Eastern Shore of

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, in the

Halifax Regional Municipality Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...

. It lies along the Marine Drive on

Nova Scotia Trunk 7 Nova Scotia Trunk 7 is part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia's system of Trunk Highways. The route runs from Bedford to Antigonish, along the Eastern Shore for a distance of . Part of Trunk 7 is known as the Marine Drive. Route descrip ...

approximately west of

Sheet Harbour Sheet Harbour is a rural area, rural community in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located in the eastern reaches of the Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Municipality, approximately northeast of the central urban area of the municipality, co ...

. Tangier is situated at the head of Tangier Harbour. The

Mi'kmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Mi'kmaw'' or ''Mi'gmaw''; ; , and formerly Micmac) are an Indigenous group of people of the Northeastern Woodlands, native to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces, primarily Nova Scotia, New Bru ...

name for the settlement was ''Wospegeak'', translating to "the sunshine is reflected from the water". The community is located at the mouth of Tangier River. The present name of the community is most likely derived from the shipwreck of the schooner ''Tangier'' in 1830. In 1858, gold was discovered in the area, which sparked gold mining operations in the area for the next 30 years. The community has a church and several private fishing wharfs, as well as a post office.

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{{cite book, last=Scott, first=David, title=Nova Scotia Place Names, year=2011, publisher=DESPUB, isbn=978-0-9865370-1-1 Unincorporated communities in Nova Scotia Communities in Halifax, Nova Scotia