Padre Island runs along the South Texas coast, and is the longest barrier island in the world.
The U.S. National Park Service has designated nearly 70 miles (113 km) of the 130-mile (209-km) island as Padre Island National Seashore.
Barrier islands are one of four basic types of islands; the others are continental, oceanic, and coral.
Barrier islands run parallel to coastlines, and the water that lies between them and the mainland is called a lagoon or a sound.
They’re called barrier islands because their sand dunes tend to protect the main coastline from powerful winds and waves.
Padre Island National Seashore is a clear example of a barrier island formation.
Such formations are prone to severe damage and reshaping in hurricanes and storms.
Padre Island is named after Padre José Nicolás Ballí who founded the first mission in present Cameron County.
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