Mingan, << MIHNG guhn, >> Archipelago National Park is a protected area in northeastern Quebec, Canada. It consists of about 40 islands and more than 2,000 islets and reefs in the Jacques Cartier Passage. The archipelago (group of islands) extends about 110 miles (177 kilometers) along the coast of Quebec at a distance of about 2 miles (3 kilometers) from the mainland. The park has a land area of 37,300 acres (15,100 hectares). The government of Canada established Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve in 1984.
The islands of the Mingan Archipelago are made mainly of dolomite, limestone, and shale. They were shaped by erosion and the movement of glaciers. Monoliths (large stone blocks), stone arches and pillars, cliffs, and caverns are some of the natural features of the islands. More than half the land is covered by forests, which consist mainly of black spruce. Other environments in the park include coastal areas, barrens (open areas), and peat bogs.
More than 200 kinds of birds are found in the park. They include cormorants, eider ducks, gulls, small penguins, puffins, and terns. Mammals are relatively few and include beavers, red foxes, red squirrels, and snowshoe hares. Occasionally, a moose or black bear crosses an ice bridge from the mainland to one of the islands. Several kinds of whales and seals live in the surrounding waters.
Native Americans occupied the islands of the Mingan Archipelago as long as 2,000 years ago. During the 1400’s and 1500’s, Basques used the islands to fish for cod and hunt whales. Later, French and English fur traders occupied the archipelago. Villages began springing up in the middle 1800’s. Today, visitors must take a boat to reach the islands in the park. Popular park activities include bird watching, boating, camping, hiking, picnicking, and scuba diving.
