The tiny island of Tangier in Virginia is packed with some beautiful and pleasing sights that can linger in your mind for a long time to come. The isle’s unique culture and charming beauty have endured it to travellers across the globe. But the sad part is that this pretty-as-a-picture island is being slowly but surely swallowed by sea-rise and coastal erosion. It is indeed shocking that this small island will be wiped off the face of the earth in a matter of few years.
Many tourists in search of nature’s enchanting artistry flock to the Tangier Island in the southeastern US state of Virginia, which is a repository of many tales and fables. Though the island is tiny, it boasts of restaurants and hotels that are always ready to receive the backpackers. The travellers, who have to reach the isle by boat, would get a golden opportunity to delve deep into the life and culture of the local people and taste some exotic seafood. If you have a strong desire to soak in the beauty of this enthralling island, make sure you step onto the aisle in the next 50 years; otherwise, it will be too late.
Tangier located in the midst of Chesapeake Bay is a remote island as this patch of floating land is far away from other islands in the vicinity. Because of its remoteness, the language spoken on the island is a dialect of American English.
Presently, the island is in danger of being swallowed by the sea waters due to rising sea levels caused by climate change. As per the records from 1850 onwards, the landmass of the island had shrunk by an alarming 67 per cent, and it is found that the remaining land would disappear in the next 50 years.
People made Tangier Island their home from 1770 and according to the census of 2010, the population of the island is 727. The majority of the inhabitants are farmers. The islanders took to fishing at the fag end of the 19th century and are dependent on the sea for a living. The island, which has a unique language and culture, has found its place on the list of the National Register of Historic Places.
The island residents have been requesting the political representatives to chalk a constructive plan to protect the island. The island would not be swallowed by the sea if jetties and sea walls were put in place. The islanders and officials of the History Museum are continuing their efforts to raise funds to construct a sea wall on the island. After the media took up the matter, former US President Donald Trump promised to release funds for the protection of the island, but unfortunately, nothing happened.
