The Cape Breton Highlands, commonly called the Highlands, refer to a 'highland' or 'plateau' of ancient rock across northern Cape Breton Island and is an extension of the Appalachian mountain chain. The Highlands comprise the northern portions of Inverness and Victoria counties. This article needs cleanup. ... The Appalachian Mountains are a system of North American mountains running from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada to Alabama in the United States, although the northernmost mainland portion ends at the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. ... Inverness County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. ... Victoria County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. ...

The Highlands are surrounded by water with the Atlantic Ocean on the east, the Cabot Strait to the north and east, the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the north and west, and Bras d'Or Lake to the south. Elevations average 350 metres at the edges of the plateau (ie. at the above-mentioned water bodies), and rise to more than 500 metres at the centre. Cabot Strait is a strait in eastern Canada approximately 110 kilometres wide between Cape Ray, Newfoundland Island and Cape North, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. ... The Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the worlds largest estuary, is the outlet of North Americas Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean. ... Bras dOr Lake (pronounced Bra-door) is a large body of water dominating the centre of Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. ...

The plateau consists of numerous broad, gently rolling hills bisected with deep valleys and steep-walled river canyons. The southern and western edges of the plateau give way to broad valleys with soils resulting from glaciation, providing some of Cape Breton's best agricultural lands. Most of the interior and southern edges of the plateau are covered with damp, cool deciduous forests which makes for spectacular colours during autumn foliage. Southward facing slopes above 300 metres in elevation generally only support Balsam Fir, as a result of the short growing season and harsh winter climate. The northern and western edges of the plateau, particularly at high elevations, resemble arctic tundra. Glaciation, often called an ice age, is a geological phenomenon in which massive ice sheets form in the Arctic and Antarctic and advance toward the equator. ... Deciduous forest after leaf fall Deciduous means temporary or tending to fall off (deriving from the Latin word decidere, to fall off). ... Autumn colours at Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire, England. ... Binomial name Abies balsamea The Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) is an North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada (Newfoundland west to central Alberta) and the northeastern United States (Wisconsin east to Maine, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to West Virginia). ... In physical geography, tundra is an area where tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. ...

The west coast of the Highlands meets the Gulf of St. Lawrence in steep cliffs whereas the east coast borders the Atlantic Ocean with a gently sloping coastal plain, low headlands, and several beaches. The Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the worlds largest estuary, is the outlet of North Americas Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean. ...

In 1936 the federal government established the Cape Breton Highlands National Park covering 950 km² across the northern third of the Highlands. The Cabot Trail scenic highway also encircles the coastal perimeter of the plateau. While the coastal areas of Inverness and Victoria counties along the plateau are home to several dozen small fishing and tourism-related communities, the interior of the plateau has no public roads and very little human presence, making it one of Nova Scotia's largest wilderness areas. 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Cape Breton Highlands National Park is located on northern Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia. ... The Cabot Trail is Canadian highway located in the province of Nova Scotia on Cape Breton Island. ...

External links

• Cape Breton Highlands - Nova Scotia Museum website (http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/nhns2/200/200.htm)
• Cape Breton Highlands - Parks Canada website (http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ns/cbreton/natcul/natcul1a_E.asp)