Minas Basin

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Minas Basin is the broadest part of the south-eastern head of the Bay of FUNDY and lies entirely within Nova Scotia. It merges westward into Fundy, through Minas Channel, 5 km wide, and eastward into Cobequid Bay, and is widest (30 km) south of Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. Its depth, generally less than 40 m, is over 100 m in Minas Channel. The bottom consists of large sand bodies swept by strong tidal currents, changing to mud flats nearer the shore. Its daily tidal range of 15-16 m is among the highest in the world, which has focused attention on potential tidal power generation. The north shore is straight, with small coves and islands, and cliffs rising to 100-200 m; the south shore is mainly low, with undulating good agricultural land and hayfields on former salt marshes.

Farming includes mixed-cattle husbandry, vegetable growing, egg production and apple growing. Coastal marshes in the southwest were a focal area of ACADIAN French settlement in the early 17th century. Major towns are WOLFVILLE, WINDSOR and PARRSBORO. GRAND PRÉ, dating from Acadian times, is a national historic site.

Minas Basin
Minas Basin
Minas Basin, Nova Scotia (photo by Chris Gotman/Valan Photos).
Grand Pré Chapel
Grand Pré Chapel
This memorial chapel, in the style of mid-18th-century French architecture, opened in 1930 (photo by Freeman Patterson/Masterfile).

Author I.A. BROOKES


Links to Other Sites
Nova Scotia's Natural History
An online guide to the natural history of various regions in Nova Scotia. From the website for the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History.

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