The word "cape" is found in the logbook of any traveler. Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Magellan and other sailors of different times carefully examined the capes from afar, reached them, circled and went on land to explore the area. What is a cape in geography?
Description
What is a cape? This is part of the land (mountain, arrow, bast), outstanding sharp end in the sea, river, lake. More often it is composed of the same rocks as the mainland, but may have the nature of sediments. Cape are formed due to erosion processes (destruction of rocks and soils by water). The protrusions soften the energy of the waves directed to the main land, while gradually changing shape, sometimes becoming a cave or arch.
Sometimes the ledges are so large that they resemble a part of the land, washed on three sides by water. For example, the Crimean riddle, Cape Megan, is called a mountainous peninsula on the peninsula, since it is composed of several capes. Apparently, for resemblance to the respiratory organ acting on the face, residents of the former European part of the Soviet Union, the Far East and Siberians call the cape “nose”.
Extreme points of Russia
What is a cape, where are the most famous extreme ledges of the continents, what are they famous for? You can write a lot about this, because it is difficult to even list all the capes: Zeleny, Almadi, Horn, Nordkin, Piai, Cabo Branco, Froward, Byron, Dezhneva, Chelyuskin - each has its own interesting story.
For example, Cape Dezhnev - the extreme eastern continental point of Eurasia, was first reached in 1648 by the expedition of Semyon Dezhnev. It is proved that America is not connected with Eurasia, and the northern seas around Siberia will bring people from Europe to China. Before the cape received the name of the Russian traveler Dezhnev, it was called "Big Chukchi nose."
Cape Chelyuskin (Taimyr Peninsula) is the northernmost point of Eurasia. It was discovered by the expedition of the Russian polar explorer Semyon Chelyuskin in 1742. Before the assignment of the current name was East-North. In 1919, the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen visited it. Thinking that he would die, the forwarder decided to hide the information obtained during the trip on a cape. For this, he built a guria (a pyramid of stones).
Cape of Good Hope
What is the Cape of Good Hope? This is a "wedge" that has long been considered the southern tip of Africa. But it turned out that this is not so. At 155 kilometers south-east of it is Cape Igolny, which is the very extreme point. But in geography textbooks, the Cape of Good Hope is described more and more often. It is believed that it is the southwestern outskirts of Africa (although it is believed that the right to be called that name belongs to the Cape Point ledge).
In any case, the discovery of the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias made in 1488 cannot be overestimated. With the Cape of Good Hope , a new trade route came to India, the one that passes around the African continent.
It is noteworthy that Diash appeared at the cape contrary to his original plans. Terrible storms disoriented the ship. Impressed by the experience, the discoverer wanted to name his discovery Cape Storms. But the King of Portugal, Juan II, considered that this could interfere with the further development of the sea route to India, and decided, if better, the cape bears the name Good Hope.
Sand movement
Let's talk about land, for example, about sand hills, dunes. This positive landform is formed under the influence of winds. The windward side is a low slide with a steepness of up to 15 degrees. The lee, in turn, reaches 35 degrees. If the dune stands alone, it resembles a sickle, the edges of which are elongated like horns.
However, in sandy deserts, solitary hills are rare, mostly merged chains. The slope of each is the same as that of a single. The edges of the dune sprout with greenery and are fixed. The powerful loose part continues to move. Unlike these sandy "travelers", the dunes are located in the convex part of the wind, they do not move the middle and the edges.
Dunes often occupy the territory of sandy shores in different soil and plant zones. They move in the direction from the water at a speed of up to 20 meters per year, filling roads, fields. To stop them, we need strengthening work.
Now you know what a dune and a cape are and do not confuse them with other geographical concepts and terms.