Marquesas Keys

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Marquesas Keys, not to be confused with the Marquesas Islands in the Pacific Ocean, form an uninhabited island group about 50 km west of Key West, 6 km in diameter, and overgrown by mangrove. They are an unincorporated area of Monroe County, Florida and belong to the Lower Keys Census County Division. They also belong to the Key West National Wildlife Refuge. The total area, including the lagoon, measures 29.37 km². The land area, according to the United States Census Bureau, is 6.58 km² (exactly 6,579,703 m²), the water area 0.17 km² (165,744 m²), with a combined area 6,75 km² (6,745,447 m²), whereby water areas with connection to the open sea are not counted, but only small landlocked lakes on the Keys. The group is located at coordinates 24°34′19″N, 82°07′10″W.

The islands are part of the Florida Keys, separated from the rest of the Florida Keys, which are further east, by the Boca Grande Channel, which is 10 km wide until Boca Grande Key, the westernmost of the Mule Keys. Only the Dry Tortugas are still further west, 60 km west of the Marquesas Keys.

The central lagoon is called Mooney Harbor. The northernmost key is the largest and has a strip of sandy beach free of mangrove. In the past it was known as "Entrance Key". It surrounds the lagoon in the north and east. Adjoining in the south are smaller keys such as Gull Keys, Mooney Harbor Key, and finally about four unnamed keys in the southwest corner of the island. Older charts show that two of these keys once were named "Button Island" and "Round Island" [1].

10 km west of the Marquesas Keys is Rebecca Shoal.

The islands are best known for their excellent sport fishing.

[edit] See also

• Key West National Wildlife Refuge

[edit] References

• Marquesas Keys: Blocks 3042 and 3043, Census Tract 9725, Monroe County, Florida United States Census Bureau

[edit] External links

• Google Maps view of the Marquesas Keys
• Key Names: A Gazeteer of the Islands of the Florida Keys

Edit	Florida Keys
Biscayne National Park	Soldier Key, Ragged Keys, Boca Chita Key, Sands Key, Elliott Key, Adams Key, Old Rhodes Key, City of Islandia
Upper keys	Key Largo (island), North Key Largo (CDP), Key Largo (CDP), Tavernier (CDP), Plantation Key (island), Plantation Key (former CDP), Windley Key, Upper Matecumbe Key, Indian Key, Lignumvitae Key, Lower Matecumbe Key, Village of Islamorada
Middle keys	Craig Key, Fiesta Key, Long Key, City of Layton, Conch Key, Duck Key (CDP), Grassy Key, Crawl Key, Long Point Key, Fat Deer Key, Key Vaca, City of Marathon, City of Key Colony Beach, Boot Key, Knight's Key, Pigeon Key
Lower keys	Little Duck Key, Missouri Key, Ohio Key, Sunshine Key, Bahia Honda Key, Spanish Harbor Key, West Summerland Key, No Name Key, Big Pine Key (CDP), Little Torch Key, Middle Torch Key, Big Torch Key, Ramrod Key, Summerland Key, Knockemdown Key, Cudjoe Key (CDP), Sugarloaf Key, Park Key, Lower Sugarloaf Key, Saddlebunch Keys, Shark Key, Geiger Key, Big Coppitt Key (CDP), East Rockland Key, Rockland Key, Boca Chica Key, Key Haven, Stock Island (CDP), Key West, Sigsbee Park, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, Wisteria Island
Outlying islands	Mule Keys, Ballast Key, Marquesas Keys, Dry Tortugas, Tortugas Bank
Areas	Florida Bay, Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, National Key Deer Sanctuary, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Biscayne Bay, Biscayne National Park, Key West National Wildlife Refuge, Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Other topics	Monroe County, Conch Republic, Overseas Highway, Overseas Railroad, Card Sound Bridge, Seven Mile Bridge, Bahia Honda Bridge, Theater of the Sea, Hurricane Wilma, Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Key Deer, Ocean Reef Club, Key lime pie, Florida Keys Keynoter, Key West Citizen