| Sable Island | |
 | |
| Sable Island from space in April 1994 | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Canada |
|---|---|
| Region | New Scotland |
| Area | 31 km² |
| Population | 1 hab. |
| Density | 0,03 inhab./km² |
| Spindle | atlantic time |
| Location | |
 43 ° 57 ′ 0 ″ N 59 ° 54 ′ 57 ″ W | |
Sable Island is a small island canadian situated at 290 km south-east of the coasts of New Scotland in L'Atlantic Ocean. Since 1977, the island has been, in its entirety, a migratory bird sanctuary. Since 2011, it is a national park reserve of Canada.
Understand
On maps dating from 1505, the island is indicated under the name of "Santa Cruz", then, of "I. da Crus" and "Isolla del Arena". Its current name appears in 1546 by the cartographer portuguese Joannes Freire as "I. do Sable". The description would come from French. In English, although the "Sandy Island" version existed on very old maps, nowadays it is known as "Sable Island". The island is one of 81 names of pan-Canadian interest.
Sable Island is a long, crescent-shaped sand bar 42 km, but its maximum width does not exceed 1,3 km. It has an area of approximately 31 km2. It is covered with grass and low vegetation. The shape of the island is continually changing due to strong winds and storms. The contrasting effects of the Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream cause a lot of fog in the region. In winter, the effects of the Gulf Stream sometimes give the island the highest temperatures in the country.
The island is home to approximately 250 horsepower wild animals protected from all human influence for several decades, apart from some parachuting of hay during certain winter months, but these actions were stopped in order to allow the population to stabilize naturally. The origin of these animals is not known. These horses are the emblem of the New Scotland since 2008. The island also includes several colonies of birds, arctic terns and a subspecies of meadow sparrows endemic to the island. Harbor seals and gray seals breed there. A species of freshwater sponge is endogenous to the island's ponds. In 1977, the island was recognized as a migratory bird sanctuary. In 2011, an agreement was signed between the federal government and the government of Nova Scotia to transform the island into a national park reserve. Moreover, the Île-de-Sable station, managed by Parks Canada and Environment Canada, is the only facility on the island with employees.
Sable Island is known for its many shipwrecks. An estimated 350 ships have run aground due to the island's sandbars. In addition, it is used for several scientific researches, especially in meteorology.
