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Tangier Island, Virginia

Tangier Island, Virginia
Town
The water tower in the center of Tangier Island
The water tower in the center of Tangier Island
Flag of Tangier Island, Virginia
Flag
Location in Accomack County and the state of Virginia
Location in Accomack County and the state of Virginia
Coordinates: 37°49′33″N 75°59′32″W / 37.82583°N 75.99222°W / 37.82583; -75.99222Coordinates: 37°49′33″N 75°59′32″W / 37.82583°N 75.99222°W / 37.82583; -75.99222
Country United States
State Virginia
County Accomack
Area
 • Total 1.2 sq mi (3.2 km2)
 • Land 1.2 sq mi (3.2 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 3 ft (1 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 727
 • Density 590/sq mi (230/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 23440
Area code(s) 757
FIPS code 51-77520
GNIS feature ID 1500206
Website www.tangierislandva.com

Tangier is a town in Accomack County, Virginia, United States, on Tangier Island in Chesapeake Bay. The population was 727 at the 2010 census. Since 1850, the island's landmass is reduced by 67%. Under the mid-range sea level rise scenario, much of the remaining landmass is expected to be lost in the next 50 years and the town will likely need to be abandoned.

The majority of the original settlers were from South West England, and the tiny island community has attracted the attention of linguists because the natives speak a unique English Restoration-era dialect of American English, which has remained remarkably close in lexicon and pronunciation to the 17th century English language brought by original settlers from the British isles. It is because of the historical isolation of the native population from the mainland that this historic form of speech has been largely preserved. Most of Tangier Island is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Prior to the arrival of European (British) colonists on Tangier Island, it was a summer retreat for the Pocomoke Indians for centuries. Although not much is known about these people, their existence is evidenced by the thousands of stone arrowheads that have been found all over the island. Almost any morning after gale-force winds have been blowing all night, new arrowheads can be found on the beach, uncovered by the blowing away of sand. The discovery of an ancient offshore oyster midden, thousands of years old and containing a huge pile of shells which could only have been deposited by humans, is further evidence that there was a regular population on Tangier, at least in the warm part of the year, long before it had an English name. The enormous numbers of arrowheads and spear points found here suggest the island was probably much larger than recorded history can verify and was home to many animal species.


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