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The Americas are separated from the African continent and even from mainland Europe by the vast Atlantic Ocean. Considering the tilt of the Earth on its axis it seems that the state of Florida is closest to Africa, but this is not true. It is in fact Maine that is the closest point for US to Africa. The distance between Quoddy Head, in Maine and El Beddouza, in the African country of Morocco is estimated to be about 3,154 miles (approximately 5,076 kilometers).

Quoddy Head is the easternmost point of the contiguous US. The Quoddy Head State Park is located about four miles off State Route 189 in Maine, and is the first place in the country to witness the sunrise on the equinoxes. The Quoddy Head Light, the white and red lighthouse is a local attraction. El Beddouza in the northwest African country of Morocco is a sandy beach that is popular with tourists. The distance between these two points is the shortest between the US and the African continent.

The state of Florida is a peninsula that juts out from the contiguous US, and is often (mistakenly) assumed to be the closest point to Africa. Singer Island on the coast of Palm Beach County is the nearest point to Africa (in the state of Florida). From Singer Island, Guerguerat is the nearest point in Africa, some 4,085 miles (6,574 kilometers) away. Guerguerat is a nondescript village, three miles from the Atlantic coast in Western Africa. It is currently under the control of Morocco, though.

Other states that are often mistakenly thought of as closest to Africa are North Carolina and Massachusetts. Cape Hatteras is North Carolina most eastern point, and is the closest point in North Carolina to Morocco, and the town of Tarfaya. Tarfaya (Villa Bens) the quaint Spanish town in Morocco is at a distance of approximately 3,625 miles from Cape Hatteras.

Cape Cod in Massachusetts is at a distance of 3,332 miles from El Beddouza, Morocco, making it the second closest US to Africa point, after Quoddy Head.

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