Albemarle Sound North Carolina

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Biography

Albemarle Sound is a large Estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States, This was formed at the confluence or joining of several rivers such as the Chowan and Roanoke Rivers. The Outer banks separate it from the Atlantic Ocean. ^[1]

Ten counties are around the Albemarle Sound. The North Carolina counties are Hyde, Washington, Tyrrell and Dare which are mostly on the south side of the Albemarle Sound. On the north side of the Sound are Chowan, Perquimans, Pasquotank, Camden, Currituck and Gates.^[2]

Counties around Albemarle Sound

On the Virginia line are Currituck, Dare and Hyde barrier islands also make up the Outer Banks. .^[2]

These counties form the eastern boundary of the region. The size of the land in this region is 3,300-square-miles. This contains only 175,000 people on the land excluding the water in the sounds and rivers. The town of Cary in Wake County has nearly that many residents in 54 square miles.^[3]

As far back as the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s this was an issue of terrain being swamp land. Gradually advancement of technology has enabled the area to be able to build on some of the swamp land. The Dismal Swamp has been a challenge to build roads and bridges get around the Dismal Swamp Canal.^[2]

The central Outer Banks and the mainland of northeastern North Carolina is close to the Albemarle Sound. This sound is not very long, but it is wide, for hundreds of miles. The Albemarle Sound is one of the extensive sounds in North Carolina. It leads into a number of rivers, specifically the Roanoke and Chowan Rivers, which cross into the state of Virginia.^[2]

Albemarle Sound and the Outer Bank.

On the eastern side of the Albemarle Sound are the barriers for towns such as Kitty Hawk to Nags Head of the central Outer Banks. This connects the Croatan, Roanoke Sound and Pamlico Sound which buffer the Roanoke Island. Pamlico Sound is connected with Chesapeake Bay by the Albemarle, Chesapeake Canal and the Dismal Swamp Canal, which cross the Great Dismal Swamp. ^[4]

History

In 1586 Ralph Lane explored the Roanoke Island colony. Albemarle Sound was first called the Sea of Rawnocke (Roanoke Sea). When maps were created it was listed as Roanoke Sound and Carolina River. Then it was renamed for George Monck, 1st duke of Albemarle. ^{[4] [1]}

Pamlico

The Pamlico were the first settlers, living on the Pamlico River where they traveled by dugout canoes and fished the Pamlico River. 1586 some European explorers arrived. They had sailed up the (55 mile) Albemarle Sound. Some European settlers traveled south from Virginia to build colonies and begin their agriculture here (50 years later). The small ships used to carry cargo to the other colonies were known as coasters. Then merchant ships that held more cargo brought in silks, spices, sugars from the West Indies and returned with tobacco (the largest export of Southern Colonies as well as herring and lumber from the forests. Albemarle Sound had expanded in commerce. ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albemarle_Sound
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} https://www.outerbanks.com/albemarle-sound.html#:~:text=Geography%20of%20the%20Albemarle%20Sound&text=Though%20technically%20not%20very%20long,the%20outskirts%20of%20Plymouth%2C%20NC.
3. ↑
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} https://www.britannica.com/place/Albemarle-Sound

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albemarle_Sound