Great Wass Island
Encyclopedia
Great Wass Island lies in the Atlantic Ocean
off the coast of the State of Maine
, United States
. On the mainland is Jonesport
in Washington County
. The island is 5 mi (8 km) long, 1.5 mi (2.5 km) wide and it is the biggest island in the Great Wass Archipelago, which contains over 43 islands extending off the coast from Jonesport. Great Wass Island is connected with a bridge to Beals Island, which is then connected to the mainland. Head Harbor Island and Steels Harbor Island lie close to the east. The 1450 acres (5.9 km²) Great Wass Island Preserve is in the island. The interior of Great Wass Island supports coastal Maine's largest stand of jack pine
, other typical plants are bakeapple (Rubus chamaemorus), deer-hair sedge
(Trichophorum cespitosum), and dragon’s mouth orchid (Arethusa bulbosa).
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
off the coast of the State of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. On the mainland is Jonesport
Jonesport, Maine
Jonesport is a town in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,408 at the 2000 census. Jonesport is a fishing, lobstering town.-History:...
in Washington County
Washington County, Maine
Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, its population was 32,856. Its county seat is Machias.Sometimes referred to as "Sunrise County" because it is the easternmost county in the United States, and it is often where the rising sun first shines on the 48...
. The island is 5 mi (8 km) long, 1.5 mi (2.5 km) wide and it is the biggest island in the Great Wass Archipelago, which contains over 43 islands extending off the coast from Jonesport. Great Wass Island is connected with a bridge to Beals Island, which is then connected to the mainland. Head Harbor Island and Steels Harbor Island lie close to the east. The 1450 acres (5.9 km²) Great Wass Island Preserve is in the island. The interior of Great Wass Island supports coastal Maine's largest stand of jack pine
Jack Pine
Jack pine is a North American pine with its native range in Canada east of the Rocky Mountains from Northwest Territories to Nova Scotia, and the northeast of the United States from Minnesota to Maine, with the southernmost part of the range just into northwest Indiana...
, other typical plants are bakeapple (Rubus chamaemorus), deer-hair sedge
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 5,500 species described in about 109 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group...
(Trichophorum cespitosum), and dragon’s mouth orchid (Arethusa bulbosa).