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A 'cay' (also spelled 'key', but both are pronounced alike as "key" []) is a small, low island consisting mostly of sand or coral. The word is used almost exclusively in the Caribbean, though it is sometimes used in the context of other tropical environments, such as the Great Barrier Reef, Belize Barrier Reef, and especially in the Florida Keys.
Sand cays are formed when tidal action, wind and sea birds deposit coral debris and sand onto reef flats over a long period of time. These deposits usually occur on the leeward side of the reef, but occasionally made on the windward side. Weather affects the formation of cays greatly; large tides would bring much more debris onto the cay and thus make it larger, while a hurricane could completely obliterate a cay.
An example of a coral cay is Heron Island.

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★ ''Çay'' is the Turkish word for Turkish tea.

★ Çay is also a town and a district depending Afyonkarahisar in western Turkey.