Keys, Cays, Islands ,and Islets

[Jib]

Anyone know if these names mean a certain type of island or are just different words for the smae thing?

[CrazyCholeBlack]

Cay & Key are the same. A low laying small island usually made out of sand & coral.

Island & Isle are the same and a Cay or Key can be an island but not all islands are cays. That reminds me of a math problem but I'll save you the boring details.

Archipelago (one of my favorite words) is a group of islands.

Islet I've never heard of.

[Mad Matt]

Keys, cays, and islets are all about the same. Just different names for different parts of the world. Think very small islands.

Wikipedia is your friend!

[michaelsbagley]

You forgot the "quay" spelling of the words "key" or "cay"....

[blackjohn]

Quoting the Marine Chart Division's Nautical Chart Manual...

A bare rock (islet) is an extremely important positional reference for the mariner since it can be seen at all tide stages. A bare rock near a submerged rock also serves as an excellent natural marker for the submerged hazard. Islets shall be shown to scale, when possible, or by the standard islet, or bare rock, symbol (K 10) for small-scale representation. Elevations associated with these features shall be shown in slanted type (6 pt. Swiss Light Italic).

When applying rocks that bare to small-scale charts, the cartographer may have to exaggerate their size in order to retain the feature. The minimum charting size for a bare rock (or islet) is 0.65 mm by 0.5 mm. This size limitation is imposed to avoid charting “dots” which could be misinterpreted as imperfections on the chart reproducibles and consequently removed in the reproduction processes. Where bare rocks clustered together prohibit complete representation at chart scale, those considered most threatening to navigation shall be charted. However, two or more bare rocks should not be merged into one symbol if they can be shown separately with some distinction.

:)

From the NCM Vol 2, Definitions:

CAY (ALSO KAY, KEY). A low, flat island of sand, coral, etc., awash or drying at low water; a term originally applied to the coral islets around the coast and islands of the Caribbean Sea.

A key; a comparitively small and low coastal island of sand or coral. Pronounced "key." The spelling "kay" is common in the West Indies.

ISLAND (ACCORDING TO COAST SURVEY USAGE). A land area (smaller than a continent) extending above and completely surrounded by water at mean high water; an area of dry land entirely surrounded by water or a swamp; an area of swamp entirely surrounded by open water.

ISLAND (ACCORDING TO GENEVA CONVENTION). A naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide.

ISLET. A small island.

QUAY. A structure of solid construction along a shore or bank which provides berthing for ships and which generally provides cargo-handling facilities. A similar facility of open construction is called a wharf.

[Lady Alyx]

....beware of floating islands....lol