Barachois
Encyclopedia
A barachois is a term used in Atlantic Canada
and Saint Pierre and Miquelon to describe a coastal lagoon
separated from the ocean
by a sand or shingle bar. Salt water
may enter the barachois during high tide
.
The bar often is formed as a result of sediment
deposited in the delta region
of a river
or - as is the case in Miquelon
- by a tombolo
.
The term comes from a Basque
word, “barratxoa”, meaning “little bar”. The popular derivation from the French “barre à choir” is without historical merit.
In Newfoundland English
, the word has become written and pronounced as barrasway.
The term is also used to describe the coves in the lagoon of Diego Garcia
in the Indian Ocean
.
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
and Saint Pierre and Miquelon to describe a coastal lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
separated from the ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
by a sand or shingle bar. Salt water
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
may enter the barachois during high tide
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
.
The bar often is formed as a result of sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
deposited in the delta region
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
of a river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
or - as is the case in Miquelon
Miquelon Island
Miquelon Island is one of the three main islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. It is connected to the similarly-sized Langlade Island by a thin tombolo sandspit known as La Dune, which in turn forms a part of the boundary of the Grand Barachois.Miquelon and Langlade form the commune of...
- by a tombolo
Tombolo
A tombolo, from the Italian tombolo, derived from the Latin tumulus, meaning 'mound,' and sometimes translated as ayre , is a deposition landform in which an island is attached to the mainland by a narrow piece of land such as a spit or bar. Once attached, the island is then known as a tied island...
.
The term comes from a Basque
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
word, “barratxoa”, meaning “little bar”. The popular derivation from the French “barre à choir” is without historical merit.
In Newfoundland English
Newfoundland English
Newfoundland English is a name for several accents and dialects thereof the English found in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Most of these differ substantially from the English commonly spoken elsewhere in Canada...
, the word has become written and pronounced as barrasway.
The term is also used to describe the coves in the lagoon of Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
.
Examples
- Dark Harbour, Grand Manan, New BrunswickNew BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
(photo). - Barachois de Malbaie on the Gaspé PeninsulaGaspé PeninsulaThe Gaspésie , or Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé, is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, extending into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
, fed by the MalbaieMalbaie RiverThere are two Malbaie Rivers in the province of Quebec in Canada.The Malbaie River in the Charlevoix region empties into the Saint Lawrence River at La Malbaie. Up until 1985, the river was used to transport logs downstream. The river flows through a steep valley known as Les Hautes Gorges...
, Beattie, du Portage and Murphy RiverMurphy River-References:*...
s - Grand BarachoisGrand BarachoisGrand Barachois is a large natural lagoon in Saint Pierre and Miquelon. It lies immediately south of Miquelon Island, and is formed largely by the 12 kilometre-long tombolo of La Dune....
, Miquelon IslandMiquelon IslandMiquelon Island is one of the three main islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. It is connected to the similarly-sized Langlade Island by a thin tombolo sandspit known as La Dune, which in turn forms a part of the boundary of the Grand Barachois.Miquelon and Langlade form the commune of... - Barachois Pond Provincial ParkBarachois Pond Provincial ParkBarachois Pond Provincial Park is a large and popular Provincial Park in the southwest of the island of Newfoundland. The park covers an area of 35 km². The park is situated off the Trans-Canada Highway, near Stephenville....
in western NewfoundlandNewfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400... - Big Barasway and Little Barasway, communities on Newfoundland's Cape ShoreCape Shore- Overview :The Cape Shore is a region on the southwestern portion of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.Often confused or conflated with the Southern Shore , the Cape Shore is similarly rural and populated by Irish Newfoundlanders, but is geographically distinct...
- Prince Edward Island National ParkPrince Edward Island National ParkPrince Edward Island National Park is a National Park located on Prince Edward Island. Situated along the island's north shore, fronting the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the park measures approximately 60 km in length and ranges from several hundred metres to several kilometres in width...
has several examples.