Nootka Sound: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The Nootka Sound is an inlet of the Pacific Ocean and a natural harbor on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada separating Vancouver Island and Nootka Island. The mouth of the sound was sighted in 1774 by Juan Pérez, a Spanish explorer. The sound itself was visited by Capt. James Cook in 1778, who was the first European to land in that region.

John Meares, the British explorer, established a trading post on Nootka Sound in 1788. Its seizure by Spaniards in 1789 became the subject of a controversy between Spain and England over claims in the region. The Nootka Convention resolved the dispute in 1790.

The sound is named after the Nootka, a group of people who live mostly on Vancouver Island.