Neptune's Needle

Large inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, c.170 miles long and 30 miles wide, bet. N.B. and SW N.S., Canada. It is famous for its tide and tidal bore; in its upper arms, Chignecto Bay and the Minas Basin, tides reach 40 ft-50 ft in height and create the reversing falls of the St. John R. At low tide, wide flats are laid bare, and the long estuaries of the rivers are drained. Many of the surrounding flats have been reclaimed and transformed into fertile farmland since Acadian settlers began to build dikes in the early 17th cent. Annapolis Royal, on the N.S. side of the bay, is the oldest settlement in Canada. St. John, N.B., is the chief port on the bay.

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Peter Richards