A geopolitical oddity, Point Roberts is a small unincorporated community in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. An exclave of the United States, it sits on the southernmost tip of the Tsawwassen Peninsula, south of Delta, British Columbia, Canada. Image File history File links Adapted from Wikipedias WA county maps by Bumm13. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with unincorporated. ... Whatcom County (IPA: ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. ... Official language(s) English Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area  Ranked 18th  - Total 71,342 sq mi (184,827 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 6. ... D is Bs exclave, but is not an enclave. ... Tsawwassen is a neighbourhood in the southwestern part of the Corporation of Delta. ... Delta is a district municipality in British Columbia, Canada. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo - Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 36 - Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 4th - Total 944,735 km...

Point Roberts can only be reached from the rest of the U.S. by traveling through Canada or crossing Boundary Bay. Other exclaves of this type include the Northwest Angle, Minnesota; Elm Point, Minnesota; and on a larger scale, the state of Alaska. Boundary Bay is situated on the Pacific coast of North America on the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington. ... The Northwest Angle (the purple portion) in Minnesota, bordering Manitoba, Ontario, and Lake of the Woods The Northwest Angle viewed from space The Northwest Angle, known simply as the Angle by locals, and coterminous with Angle Township, is a small part of northern Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota that... Map of the area, including Elm Point Elm Point, Minnesota, in Lake of the Woods County, is a small cape and a United States exclave, southwest of the Northwest Angle. ... Official language(s) English[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ...

History

The first Europeans to see Point Roberts were members of George Vancouver's expedition of 1791-1795; he named the point after his friend Henry Roberts who had originally been given command of the expedition. Point Roberts assumed its present political status in 1846, when the Oregon Treaty extended the 49th parallel as the boundary between American and British territory from the Rocky Mountains to Georgia Strait. A life sized statue covered in gold of George Vancouver on top of the British Columbia Parliament Buildings Captain George Vancouver RN (June 22, 1757 – May 12, 1798) was an officer of the Royal Navy, best known for his exploration of North America, including the Pacific coast along the modern... 1791 (MDCCXCI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Henry Roberts (1757- 1796) was an officer in the British Royal Navy who served with Captain Cook on his last two voyages. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Map of the lands in dispute The Treaty with Great Britain, in Regard to Limits Westward of the Rocky Mountains, also known as the Oregon Treaty or Treaty of Washington, is a bilateral treaty between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United States that was signed... The 49th parallel of north latitude forms part of the International Boundary between Canada and the United States from Manitoba to British Columbia on the Canadian side and from Minnesota to Washington on the U.S. side. ... For individual mountains named Rocky Mountain, see Rocky Mountain (disambiguation). ... The Strait of Georgia (also known as Georgia Strait and the Gulf of Georgia) is a 240 km (150 mi)-long strait between Vancouver Island (as well as its nearby Gulf Islands) and the mainland Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada. ...

Treaty history specific to Point Roberts

After years of joint occupation of the disputed area between the Columbia River and Alaska known as the Oregon Country to the Americans, and as the Columbia District to the British, James K. Polk was elected president of the United States on the campaign slogan "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight". The Columbia River (French: fleuve Columbia) is a river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. ... Official language(s) English[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ... Landscape in Oregon Country, by Charles Marion Russell Map of Oregon Country Oregon Country was a region of western North America that originally consisted of the land north of 42°N latitude, south of 54°40N latitude, and west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. ... Columbia District was a regional department of the Hudsons Bay Company, and included all of the Columbia River basin, extending as far north as the Thompson River. ... James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795–June 15, 1849) was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1845 to March 4, 1849. ... The phrase Fifty-Four Forty or Fight was a campaign slogan of United States President-to-be James K. Polk. ...

While his government asserted that the title of America to the entire territory was unquestionable, Polk and his secretary, James Buchanan made an offer of a boundary at 49 degrees with the line straight across Vancouver Island, with no commercial privilege to be granted to the British south of the line, with the exception of free ports on Vancouver Island. This offer was rejected by the British and withdrawn by the US shortly thereafter. James Buchanan (April 23, 1791 – June 1, 1868) was the 15th president of the United States (1857–1861). ... Vancouver Island is separated from mainland British Columbia by the Strait of Georgia and the Queen Charlotte Strait, and from Washington by the Juan De Fuca Strait. ... Vancouver Island is separated from mainland British Columbia by the Strait of Georgia and the Queen Charlotte Strait, and from Washington by the Juan De Fuca Strait. ...

On April 18, 1846, notice was forwarded to London that the US Congress had adopted a joint resolution abrogating the treaty of 1827 which provided for joint occupancy. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ...

The British emissary, Richard Packenham, had previously been advised that the last concession which could be expected of America was in bending the boundary at the 49th parallel around the lower end of Vancouver Island. Fort Victoria was viewed as the future center for settlements on the island. It was deemed necessary around this point in time to give up territory on the Lower Mainland to keep Vancouver Island part of British North America. The 49th parallel of north latitude forms part of the International Boundary between Canada and the United States from Manitoba to British Columbia on the Canadian side and from Minnesota to Washington on the U.S. side. ... Vancouver Island is separated from mainland British Columbia by the Strait of Georgia and the Queen Charlotte Strait, and from Washington by the Juan De Fuca Strait. ... Fort Victoria was a single tier battery with defensible barracks west of Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, England, built in the 1850s, later used as a submarine mining centre and training area for military purposes. ... The Lower Mainland is the name that residents of British Columbia apply to the region surrounding the City of Vancouver. ... British North America was an informal term first used in 1783, but uncommon before the Report on the Affairs of British North America (1839), called the Durham Report. ...

In June 1848, Lord Aberdeen, British Foreign Secretary, proposed a treaty making the 49th parallel the boundary to the sea, giving Great Britain the whole of Vancouver Island. The treaty was concluded on June 15, 1855. The Right Honourable George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, PC (January 28, 1784–December 14, 1860) was a Tory/Peelite politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1852 until 1855. ... The title of Foreign Secretary has been traditionally used to refer to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. ...

Geography

A US enclave within Canada, Point Roberts is 35 km (22 miles) south of downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Point Roberts is part of the U.S. because it lies south of the 49th parallel, the official latitude defining the Canada-US border in that area. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Motto: By Sea, Land, and Air We Prosper Location of Vancouver within the Greater Vancouver Regional District in British Columbia, Canada Coordinates: , Country  Canada Province  British Columbia Region Lower Mainland Regional District Greater Vancouver Incorporated 1886 Government  - Mayor Sam Sullivan (NPA)  - City Council List of Councilors Suzanne Anton (NPA) Peter... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo - Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 36 - Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 4th - Total 944,735 km... The 49th parallel of north latitude forms part of the international boundary between Canada and the United States from Manitoba to British Columbia on the Canadian side and from Minnesota to Washington on the U.S. side, or from the Lake of the Woods to the Strait of Georgia. ... Canada and the United States of America share the longest common border among any two countries that is not militarized or actively patrolled. ...

Point Roberts borders the municipality of Delta in British Columbia. Boundary Bay lies to the east of Point Roberts and the Strait of Georgia to the south and west. The peninsula is about 3 km (two miles) from north to south and about 5 km (three miles) from east to west. It has an area of 12.65 km² (4.884 sq mi). Delta is a district municipality in British Columbia, Canada. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo - Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 36 - Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 4th - Total 944,735 km... Boundary Bay is situated on the Pacific coast of North America on the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington. ... Strait of Georgia at sunset The Strait of Georgia (also known as Georgia Strait and the Gulf of Georgia) is a 240 km (150 mi)-long strait between Vancouver Island (as well as its nearby Gulf Islands) and the mainland Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada. ...

Demographics

As of the US 2000 census, there were 1,308 people, 1,820 households, and 474 families residing in the CDP. There were 1,838 housing units. The racial makeup of the CDP was 75.1% White, 12.3% African American, 0.9% Native American, 3.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.5% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.5% of the population. The United States Census of year 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13. ... A census-designated place (CDP) is an area identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical reporting. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ...

In the CDP the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 19, 2.2% from 20 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 32.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.2 years.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $36,146, and the median income for a family was $45,417.

The zip code is 98281. Mr. ...

Education

Point Roberts Primary School, the only school on the Point, is for K–second-grade pupils; older public school students must be taken by bus into British Columbia and back into the United States at the Blaine, Washington, border crossing; it is a 40-minute drive. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Nickname: The Peace Arch city Location in the state of Washington Coordinates: Country United States State Washington County Whatcom County Incorporated May 20, 1890 Area  - City  8. ...

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, school transportation became a question, with massive delays at the border crossings, however, school buses were regularly given right of way and the issue was averted. Similar trips are often required for residents who wish to obtain goods not available in the exclave. A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly...

Transportation

The only authorized land access to Point Roberts is 56th Street, a major thoroughfare that runs through the community of Tsawwassen on the Canadian side of the border; southward, the road turns into Tyee Drive. Point Roberts also has a small airport and a large marina for air and water access. Tsawwassen is a neighbourhood in the southwestern part of the Corporation of Delta. ... A small marina at Brixham, Devon, England. ...

Economy

Many of the area's businesses are geared toward recreational and weekend visitors from Greater Vancouver, especially those in search of cheap gasoline. The handful of area bars and nightclubs are popular with visiting Canadians (despite a 21 drinking age in the US versus 19 in British Columbia), and were even more so in the days before Sunday drinking was legalized in British Columbia. The local post office rents hundreds of post office boxes to individuals and businesses from the Greater Vancouver area (including the US Consulate in Vancouver) which find it a convenient and fast way to receive mail and parcels from the United States. Motto: Building a sustainable region Area 2,878. ... Gasoline or petrol is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting mostly of hydrocarbons and enhanced with benzene or iso-octane to increase octane ratings, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo - Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 36 - Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 4th - Total 944,735 km... A Post Office box is a uniquely-addressable lockable box located on the premises of a Post Office station. ...

As reported in National Geographic Magazine, residents enjoy a low crime rate at the cost of a high local security presence. The National Geographic Magazine, later shortened to National Geographic, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. ...

Climate

Also referred to as "The Point" and "Point Bob", Point Roberts lies within a Blue hole created by Vancouver Island, the north shore mountains surrounding Vancouver, and the North Cascades (including Mount Baker). This micro-climate provides some of the mildest weather in the Pacific Northwest. With an average annual rainfall of about 1000 mm (40 inches), Point Roberts enjoys more sunny days and a milder climate than its neighbors. Vancouver Island is separated from mainland British Columbia by the Strait of Georgia and the Queen Charlotte Strait, and from Washington by the Juan De Fuca Strait. ... Motto: By Sea, Land, and Air We Prosper Location of Vancouver within the Greater Vancouver Regional District in British Columbia, Canada Coordinates: , Country  Canada Province  British Columbia Region Lower Mainland Regional District Greater Vancouver Incorporated 1886 Government  - Mayor Sam Sullivan (NPA)  - City Council List of Councilors Suzanne Anton (NPA) Peter... Mount Baker (elevation 10,778 feet, 3,285 m) is a glaciated andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascades of Washington State in the United States about 30 miles (50km) due east of the city of Bellingham, Whatcom County. ... The Pacific Northwest from space This page is about the region that includes parts of Canada and the United States. ...

Geology

Beneath Point Roberts, the bedrock Chuckanut Formation was deposited as an alluvial plain containing layers of sediments consisting of silt, sand, sand and gravel, and peat. During the last 60 million years the sediments were compacted and folded by mountain building forces resulting from continental drift to form strata of siltstone, sandstone, conglomerate and coal. During recent geologic history, the Chuckanut formation was overridden by four or more glaciations. (J.E. Armstrong, D.R. Crandell, D.J. Easterbrook, J.B. Noble, 1965, Late Pleistocene Stratigraphy and Chronology in Southwestern British Columbia and Northwestern Washington, Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 76, p. 321-330, March 1965.)

Point Roberts consists of a series of the resulting glacial sediments resting upon the Chuckanut Formation. The lowest glacial sediments (now near sea level) are from Salmon Springs or older glaciations. At the peak of the most recent glaciation, the main ice sheet was in excess of 7,000 feet thick as it moved southward between Vancouver Island and the Canadian Coast Range and down the Strait of Georgia. A smaller lobe of the continental glacier in excess of 5,000 feet traveled down the Fraser River flood plains merging with the main ice sheet over the greater Vancouver area and Whatcom and Skagit Counties. The coalesced continental ice sheet traveled south terminating in the vicinity of Chehalis, Washington. Relatively impermeable Vashon glacial lodgment till (estimated to be as much as 40 feet thick at the uppermost layer) was plastered over the advance outwash as the weight of the 7,000 foot thick plus Strait of Georgia ice lobe moved southward over approximately 10,000 years. (Armstrong, et. all, 1965) Point Roberts, Tsawwassen, and part of British Columbia extending Past English Bluff actually comprised an island at the close of the Vashon glaciation, approximately 11,000 years ago.

As the ice sheets melted, the thinner Fraser Lobe began to float while the Strait of Georgia lobe acted as a dam forming a lake under the Fraser Lobe. Sediments settling from the melting, floating ice resulted in the accumulation of 300 feet or more of Glacial Marine Drift over much of western Whatcom County. (Easterbrook, 1976; Geologic Map of Western Whatcom County, Washington, USGS, Map I-854-B) This Glacial Marine Drift is generally soft and was not consolidated by the weight of the glacier. A discontinuous, thin mantle of this Glacial Marine Drift above the Glacial Lodgment Till has been identified sporadically across Point Roberts. The uppermost layer of glacial sediments consists of recessional sand, silt, and gravel deposited as the Strait of Georgia ice lobe receded. Since the recession of the glaciers, the Fraser River has deposited deltaic sediments on the north and easterly side of the Point Roberts-Tsawwassen Island connecting it to the Greater Vancouver mainland. At some locations, these sediments have been eroded or removed exposing the lodgment till.

Parks and features

• Maple Beach (NE)
• Monument Park (NW)
• Lighthouse Marine Park (SW)
• Nature Trail (SW)
• Point Roberts Skate Park (Central - recreational open space)
• Lily Point (SE - private property)
• Cascadia Marine Trail (E)

Neighborhoods

• Bells Grove
• Crystal Waters
• Freeman Beach
• Lily Point
• Maple Beach
• Waters Plat

Maple Beach is an unincorporated community in Whatcom County, Washington. ...

Telecommunications

Until 1988, Point Roberts telephone numbers were in British Columbia's 604 area code and served by BCTel, a Canadian telephone company. Today, Point Roberts phone numbers are in the 360 area code and the 945 exchange, and the local regular-service telecom provider is Whidbey Island Telephone Company. Point Roberts is served by DirectTV and Delta Cablevision for cable TV and broadband internet. Mobile telephone service is provided by a variety of companies, both American and Canadian. Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo - Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 36 - Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 4th - Total 944,735 km... A telephone numbering plan is a system that allows subscribers to make and receive telephone calls across long distances. ... BC Tel was the legal operating name for the holding company BC TELECOM Inc. ... A telephone operator manually connecting calls with patch cables at a telephone switchboard. ... DirecTV is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service that broadcasts digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States. ... A WildBlue Satellite Internet dish. ...

References

• Clark, Richard E. Point Roberts, USA: The History of a Canadian Enclave. Textype Publishing, 1980.
• Murray, Anne, A Nature Guide to Boundary Bay. Nature Guides B.C., Delta, 2006
• Point Roberts Census County Division, Whatcom County, Washington United States Census Bureau

See also

• Oregon boundary dispute
• Boundary Bay
• Tsawwassen
• Northwest Angle

The Oregon Country/Columbia District Disputed Area is the main area of dispute, although the whole region was disputed The Oregon boundary dispute (often called the Oregon question) arose as a result of competing British and American claims to the Oregon Country, a region of northwestern North America known also... Boundary Bay is situated on the Pacific coast of North America on the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington. ... Tsawwassen is a neighbourhood in the southwestern part of the Corporation of Delta. ... The Northwest Angle (the purple portion) in Minnesota, bordering Manitoba, Ontario, and Lake of the Woods The Northwest Angle viewed from space The Northwest Angle, known simply as the Angle by locals, and coterminous with Angle Township, is a small part of northern Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota that...

External links

Additional information

• Discover Vancouver (article on Point Roberts, and its history, from a British Columbian perspective)
• National Geographic article on Point Roberts
• Washington Post article on Point Roberts
• Vancouver Courier.com article on border crossing after 9-11
• History of Point Roberts
• Maps and aerial photos for 48°58′56″N 123°03′27″W / 48.982189, -123.057604Coordinates: 48°58′56″N 123°03′27″W / 48.982189, -123.057604
  • Maps from WikiMapia, Google Maps, Live Search Maps, Yahoo! Maps, or MapQuest
  • Topographic maps from TopoZone or TerraServer-USA
  • Geologic Map from Washington State Department of Natural Resources
  • Zoning Map from Whatcom County

Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Community

• All Point Bulletin community newspaper
• Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce
• Point Roberts Emergency Preparedness Committee
• Point Roberts Fire Department
• Point Roberts Primary School
• Point Roberts Tax Payers Association
• Point Roberts Water District #4
• Trinity Community Lutheran Church

Recreation

• Lighthouse Marine Park
• Point Roberts Airpark[1] [2]
• Point Roberts Golf & Country Club
• Point Roberts Yacht Club
• Point Roberts Marina Resort

Point Roberts Airpark (FAA LID: 1RL) is located on the Tsawwassen Peninsula, serving the city of Point Roberts, Washington. ...

Photographs

• Point Roberts Pictures (geocities), or (43places)