Bras d'Or Lake

Bras d'Or Lake
Pitupaq
Bras d'Or Lake Pitupaq is located in Nova Scotia
Bras d'Or Lake Pitupaq
Bras d'Or Lake
Pitupaq
LocationCape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
Coordinates45°51′37″N 60°46′44″W / 45.86028°N 60.77889°W / 45.86028; -60.77889
Typeestuary
Primary outflowsGulf of St. Lawrence
Atlantic Ocean
Basin countriesCanada
Max. length100 km (62 mi)
Max. width50 km (31 mi)
Surface area1,099 km2 (424 sq mi)
Max. depth287 m (942 ft)
Water volume32,000,000,000 m3 (4.2×1010 cu yd)[1]
Shore length11,000 km (621 mi) (excluding islands)[1]
Surface elevation0 m (0 ft) (sea level)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Bras d'Or Lake (Mi'kmawi'simk: Pitupaq) is an irregular estuary in the centre of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada.[2] It has a connection to the open sea, and is tidal. It also has inflows of fresh water from rivers, making the brackish water a very productive natural habitat. It was designated the Bras d'Or Lake Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2011.[3]

  1. ^ a b "Canadian Technical Report of Hydrography and Ocean Sciences 230 – Modelling the tides of the Bras d'Or Lakes" (PDF). Department of Fisheries and Oceans – 2003. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 April 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  2. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bras d'Or" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  3. ^ "UNESCO Biosphere". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 1 September 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2011.