The Outer Lands is a term denoting the prominent terminal moraine archipelagic region off the southern coast of New England in the United States. This eight-county region of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York, comprises the peninsula of Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard, the Elizabeth Islands, Nantucket, Block Island, and Long Island, as well as surrounding islets.
Map of Outer Lands, United States
Though the existence of this archipelago is widely acknowledged by geographers, it is rarely given a specific name. The Isles of Stirling was the name granted in 1635 when the islands came into the possession of William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling. "Outer Lands" is a term popularized by author Dorothy Sterling in her natural history guide of the same name.
The Massachusetts section is often called the "Cape and Islands", with the "Islands" subregion very specifically referring to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and other smaller islands in Dukes and Nantucket counties.
Long Island is often informally considered a part of the "New York islands", together with Staten Island and Manhattan. These islands are geographically contiguous with the broader region. (The insular Massachusetts sections were actually part of the Province of New York for most of the late 17th century.)
Other islands in Long Island Sound and Rhode Island Sound are also included often.
The Outer Lands forms the insular northeasternmost extension of North America's Atlantic coastal plain. The islands of the Outer Lands were formed by the effect of the recession of the Laurentide ice sheet during the Wisconsin glaciation.
The region has historically had a strong maritime culture, with an emphasis on fishing. From eastern Long Island east, much of the region has in recent decades taken on a summer colony character.
List of islands
Cape Cod
Martha's Vineyard
Nantucket
Block Island
Long Island
Staten Island
Manhattan Island
Fire Island
Fishers Island
Plum Island
Gardiners Island
Shelter Island
Aquidneck Island (Rhode Island)
Jamestown Island
Prudence Island
Patience Island
Hog Island
Hope Island
Dyer Island
Cattle Island
Gooseberry Island
Despair Island
Gould Island
Coasters Harbor Island
Goat Island
Dutch Island
Fox Island
Greene Island
Rock Island
Ponham Rocks
Little Island
Three Tree Island
Hen Island
Tommy Island
Spectacle Island
Rye Island
Spar Island
Borden Flats
Little Cormorant Rock
East Island
West Island
Dolphin Rock
Bailey Flat
Corys Island
Jug Rock
Grinnell Rock
Great Flat
Sanford Flat
Great Island
Judy Island
Hodgeman Rock
Fishing Rock
Sunk Rock
Halfmoon Flat
Big Ram Island
Little Ram Island
Ship Rock
Speaking Rock
Gunning Island
Big Pine Island
Little Pine Island
Upper Spectacle Island
Lower Spectacle Island
Great Island
Gooseberry Island
Lakes Island
Gull Rock
Pelegs Island
Cuttyhawk Island
Penikese Island
Nashewena Island
Pasque Island
Naushon Island
Nomans Land
Uncatena Island
Nonamesset Island
Amrita Island
Bassetts Island
Eustis Rock
Tobys Island
Onset Island
Wickets Island
Little Bird Island
Cedar Island
Woods Point
Clapps Island
Meadow Island
Ram Island
Little Island
Gravel Island
Stewarts Island
Haskell Island
Bird Island
Pine Island
Ram Island
Seal Island
Point May
Brant Island
Wards Rock
White Rock
Pea Island
Puppy Rocks
Round Island
Fish Island
Gull Island
Whale Rock
Long Island
West Island
Angelica Rock
Black Rock
Egg Island
Little Egg Island
Palmer Island
Fish Island
Crow Island
Popes Island
Little Island
Barekneed Rocks
Keel Rock
Hussey Rock
Lazy Rocks
Fatal Rock
White Rock
Ragged Rocks
Dumpling Rocks
Cedar Island
Gull Island
Slates Island
Gosnold Island
Rock Island
Baret Island
Weepecket Islands
Cedar Island
Bull Island
Pine Island
Grassy Island
Monohansett island
Veckatimest Island
Ram Island
Devils Foot Island
Chappaquiddick Island
Muskeget Island
Tuckernuck Island
Dead Neck Island
Osterville Grand Island
Stage Island
North Monomoy Island
Tern Island
Strong Island
Sipson Island
Little Sipson Island
Hog Island
Samson Island
Pochet Island
Little Pochet Island
Hopkins Island
Stony Island
Mill Hill Island
Lieutenant Island
Jules Island
Duck Island
Sand Island
Molly Island
Huckets Island
Phillis Island
High Island
Tupper Island
Great Thatch Island
Little Thatch Island
Skippers Island
Rat Island
North Dumpling Island
South Dumpling Island
Flat Hammock
Hall Island
Barn Island
Sandy Point
Goat Island
Elihu Island
Dodges Island
Andrews Island
Enders Island
Mason's Island
Sixpenny Island
Ram Island
Mouse Island
Bushy Point
Pine Island
Hobs Island
White Rock
Powder Island
Quinnipeag Rocks
Waterford Island
Long Rock
Long Ledge
Griswold Island
Huntley Island
Watts Island
North Brother
South Brother
Poverty Island
Great Island
Marvin Island
Long Rock
Salt Island
Menunketesuck Island
Duck Island
Stone Island
Cedar Island
Willard Island
Grass Island
Tuxis Island
Round Rock
Gull Rock
Chaffinch Island
Goose Island
Falkner Island
Foskett Island
Horse Island
Thimble Islands
Narrows Island
Lovers Island
Democrat Island
Green Island
Umbrella island
Democrat Rock
Kelsey Island
Stony Island
Charles Island
Nells Island
Goose Island
Fayerweather Island
Sherwood Island
Hummock Island
Kitts Island
Canfield Island
Sprite Island
Long Beach Island
Manressa Island
Hoyt Island
Cedar Hummock
Cockenoe Island
Goose Island
Grassy Island
Betts Island
Chimon Island
Crow Island
Copps Island
Norwalk Islands
Shea Island
Dog Island
Wood Island
L'Hammock Island
Little Hammock Island
Sheffield Island
Little Tavern Island
Tavern Island
Butlers Island
Contentment Island
Crab Island
Fish Islands
Great Island
Hay Island
Nash Island
Pratt Island One
Brush Island
Cove island
Greenway Island
Vincent Island
Jack Island
Grass Island
Cedar Island
Great Island
Pelican island
Bluff Island
Goose Island
Diving Island
Horse Island
Nipowin Island
Brush Island
Tweed Island
Round Island
Rich Island
Farwells Island
Game Cock Island
Shore Island
Bowers Island
Island Beach
Calf Islands
Great Captains Island
Manursing Island
Bloom Island
Pine Island
Flat Rock Island
Hen Island
Spike Island
Crane Island
Shootfly Island
Crab Island
Oak Island
Echo Island
Harrison Island
Clifford Island
Pine Island
Huckleberry Island
Wright Island
Glen Island
Columbia Island
Pea Island
Davids Island
Travers Island
Goose Island
Hog Island
Danny Hat Island
Hunter Island
Twin Island
Chimney Sweeps Islands
High Island
Hart Island
Rat Island
City Island
Rikers Island
Randall's Island
Wards Island
Mill Rock
Roosevelt Island
Belmont Island
Governors Island
Ellis Island
Hoffman Island
Swinburne Island
Jones Beach Island
Robins Island
Great Gull Island
Little Gull Island
Gates Island
Outer Barrier Islands
More broadly speaking, the Outer Lands encompasses all of the islands in Long Island Sound, Block Island Sound, Narragannsett Bay, Rhode Island Sound, Vineyard Sound, Buzzards Bay, Nantusket Sound, Cape Cod, and the New York Islands.
