The Mealy Mountains is a mountain range in the southern portion of Labrador

Labrador

Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...

 in the Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 province of Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland 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...

. The mountains lie south of Lake Melville

Lake Melville

Lake Melville is a saltwater tidal extension of Hamilton Inlet on the Labrador coast in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Comprising 3,069 square kilometres, and stretching 140 kilometres inland to Happy Valley-Goose Bay, it forms part of the largest estuary in the province,...

 and cover an area of approximately 26,495km² (10,231 mi²).

The Mealy Mountains encompass five of Labrador’s ten provincial ecoregions, including coastal barrens

Barrens

Barrens may refer to:* Pine barrens, a type of ecosystem found in the Northeastern United States** Pine Barrens , a pine barren in the state of New Jersey...

, high sub arctic tundra

Tundra

In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...

, high boreal forest, mid boreal forest, and string bog

String bog

A String bog or Strong mire is a bog consisting of slightly elevated ridges and islands, with woody plants, alternating with flat, wet sedge mat areas. String bogs occur on slightly sloping surfaces, with the ridges at right angles to the direction of water flow...

. The mountain range reach heights of more than 1000 m (3,281 ft), with the highest peak being more than 1180 m (3,871 ft).

National Park

A significant portion of the mountain range and surrounding area has been recently designated a potential National Park Reserve, a move which follows lobbying for the preservation of the area since the early 1970s. The governments of Canada (Parks Canada) and Newfoundland and Labrador (Ministry of Environment and Conservation) have agreed to pursue creation of a National Park Reserve, which would see the area managed as if it were a national park, pending settlement of Native land claims. Once settled, the area would likely be designated a national park, comprising approximately 20,000km².

External links

• Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society