''For the Montreal indie band see
Torngat''
'Torngat Mountains' are a
mountain range located on the
Labrador Peninsula at the northern tip of
Labrador and eastern
Quebec and are part of the
Arctic Cordillera. This is the peninsula that separates
Ungava Bay from the
Atlantic Ocean. Approximately 56% of the range is located in
Quebec, with 44% located in
Labrador and the remaining 1% located in
Nunavut. The 'Torngat Mountains' cover 30,067 square kilometres (11,609 square miles), including lowland areas and extend over 300 kilometres from Cape Chidley in the north to Hebron Fjord in the south. The Torngat Mountains have some of the highest peaks of eastern, continental
North America.
Terrain
The highest point is
Mount Caubvik (known as Mont
D'Iberville) at 1,652 metres (5,420 ft). There are no trees in the 'Torngat Mountains' because the mountains are north of the Arctic
tree line.
Permafrost is continuous on the Quebec side of the border, and it is extensive but discontinuous on the eastern Atlantic side. Rocks that comprise the Torngat Mountains are among the oldest on
Earth and have been dated at over 3.9 billion years old. The
terrain more than approximately 300 metres above
sea level is predominantly rocky desert.
Glaciation
The ranges of the 'Torngat Mountains' are separated by deep
fjords and finger lakes surrounded by sheer rock walls. The
fjords were produced by glaciation. The Laurentide Ice Sheet covered most of the mountains at least once, however during the last
ice age the coverage was more limited.
Currently, there are more than 70 active
glaciers in the 'Torngat Mountains'. Each of these glaciers is small in size.
Flora and fauna
Caribou travel through the 'Torngat Mountains'. Numerous species of vegetation common to the Arctic region of Canada are also found in the "Torngat Mountains".
History
The name ''Torngat'' is an
Inuktitut word meaning ''spirits''.
The
Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve was announced on 1 December, 2005. It aims to protect wildlife (caribou, polar bears, peregrine falcon and golden eagle among others), while offering wilderness-oriented recreational activities.
External links
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Torngat Mountains
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Great photos of the mountain range
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Statistics Canada Principal heights by range or region