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Roanoke Island
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Roanoke Island, North Carolina
Illustration of two colonial men examining a tree with the word "CROATOAN" carved into it, with an inset showing a close-up of the carving.
Roanoke Island: Waterside Theatre
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Island, New Caledonia.
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Roanoke Island, North Carolina
Roanoke Island, North Carolina

Roanoke Island

island, North Carolina, United States
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

Roanoke Island, island in Dare county, off the coast of North Carolina, U.S. It lies south of Albemarle Sound, between the Outer Banks and the mainland. The island, 12 miles (19 km) long and an average of 3 miles (5 km) wide, was the site of the first attempted English settlement in North America and the birthplace of Virginia Dare, the first child born of English parents in the New World. The name Roanoke is...

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