The Annapolis Basin is a sub-basin of the

Bay of Fundy The Bay of Fundy () is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its tidal range is the highest in the world. The bay was ...

, located on the bay's southeastern shores, along the northwestern shore of

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

and at the western end of the

Annapolis Valley The Annapolis Valley is a valley and region in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located in the western part of the Nova Scotia peninsula, formed by a Trough (geology), trough between two parallel mountain ranges along the shore of the B ...

. The basin takes its name from the

Annapolis River The Annapolis River () is a Canadian river located in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley. Geography Measuring 120 kilometres in length, the river flows southwest through the western part of the valley from its source in Caribou Bog (50 m 60 ft...

, which drains into its eastern end at the town of Annapolis Royal. The basin measures approximately northeast-southwest and at its widest from northwest to southeast. It is a sheltered and mostly shallow water body, framed by the ridges of the North Mountain and South Mountain ranges of the Annapolis Valley; the basin is geologically a continuation of the valley floor. A break in the North Mountain range at the northwestern edge of the basin, called

Digby Gut The Digby Gut is a narrow channel connecting the Bay of Fundy with the Annapolis Basin. The town of Digby, Nova Scotia is located on the inner portion of the western side of the Gut. The eastern entrance is marked by the Point Prim Lighthouse. St ...

, provides an outlet to the Bay of Fundy. The Bay Ferries Limited ferry service operating across the Bay of Fundy between Digby and Saint John maintains a terminal on the western shore of the basin near the Digby Gut.

Rivers

Rivers which drain into the basin include: *

* Bear River * Moose River

Islands

Two major islands are located in the basin: * Bear Island * Goat Island

Communities

The basin hosts several historic seaports, including: * Towns of Annapolis Royal and Digby * Village of Bear River * Communities of Granville Ferry,

Port Royal Port Royal () was a town located at the end of the Palisadoes, at the mouth of Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1494 by the Spanish, it was once the largest and most prosperous city in the Caribbean, functioning as the cen ...

, Port Wade, Victoria Beach, Clementsport, Deep Brook, and Smiths Cove A former

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...

base and decommissioned

Canadian Forces Base A Canadian Forces base or CFB () is a military installation of the Canadian Armed Forces. For a facility to qualify as a Canadian Forces base, it must station one or more major units (e.g., army regiments, navy ships, air force wings). Minor i ...

is located between Deep Brook and Clementsport on the southeast shore of the basin - see

CFB Cornwallis Canadian Forces Base Cornwallis (also CFB Cornwallis) is a former Canadian Forces Base located in Deep Brook, Nova Scotia, Deep Brook, Nova Scotia. It is situated in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia, Annapolis County on the sou ...

. {{Authority control Bays of Nova Scotia Landforms of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia Landforms of Digby County, Nova Scotia