Terrain Features: Island
An island is a landform surrounded by water, and are distinctive terrain features that shape both the physical geography and the cultural identity of the region.
They can be formed through a variety of processes: glacial deposition, erosion, sediment buildup, or tectonic activity. Islands vary in size and elevation, but they share the defining characteristic of being separated from the mainland by water (although sometimes an island can become attached to land over time, and will often still be referred to as island by most, such as Caribou Island or Big Merigomish Island).
In mapping, islands are represented as discrete polygons on topographic sheets and nautical charts, with their coastlines, elevations, and terrain features carefully recorded. They are terrain features help that bridge land and sea, while providing unique habitats, influencing settlement patterns, and remain vital in cartographic records. Whether low-lying barrier systems like Big Merigomish Island or modest uplands like Pictou Island, these landforms enrich the county’s geographic identity and highlight the interplay between coastal processes and human history.
Note: Not all Terrain Features have official place names. Even there are many Islands located throughout Pictou County, very few have names included in the Canadian Geographic Names Database., if you know of some with local names that we have missed, then we encourage you to share that information with us so we can add the info to the atlas.
Terrain Features Sub Categories: Beach, Cape, Head, Hill, Island (Islet), Mount (Mountain), Patch, Point, Reef (Rocks / Shoal), Spit, Valley, Vegetation
Click here to return to the Pictou County Place Names Atlas
Some official place names in the Pictou County Atlas related to Islands include:
Amet Island is a small islet lying just outside the mouth of Amet Sound on the Northumberland Strait, the namesake feature for the wide, shallow embayment that shelters several local harbours and anchorages in Pictou County. This small island appears on some of the earliest French maps of the region and was mentioned in Nicolas Denys’s (1958-1688) description of the coast of Acadia published in 1672.
The name come from the old French word l’armet meaning helmet and referring to the shape of the island. On the 1755 d’Anville map the name contained the letter r, but dropped on latter maps after that.
Ram Island, is a small island located along the south side of Caribou Island near Mackenzie Point. It was formerly known as Mackenzie Island, until an official name change in 1970.
Bowen Island is a small sandy island, located in Little Harbour.
Sinclairs Island, is a popular summer vacation area located along the Northumberland Strait in the community of Chance Harbour.
Olding Island, is a large island located in the sheltered waters of Merigomish Harbour. The island is also sometimes referred to as Point Betty Island. The island belongs to a coastal landscape long used by Indigenous peoples and later by settlers who fished, foraged, and navigated these waters.
Muless Island is a small coastal island located in Merigomish Harbour, just south of Quarry Island. It is part of the islands included in Merigomish Harbour Indian Reserve 31 (part of the Pictou Landing First Nation) established in 1865.
Indian Island is a small coastal island located in Merigomish Harbour, just south east of Quarry Island. It is part of the islands included in Merigomish Harbour Indian Reserve 31 (part of the Pictou Landing First Nation) established in 1865.
Sutherland Islands, refers to a few small coastal islands located in Merigomish Harbour, just north of Indian Island, between Quarry Island and Olding Island.
