PLANT AND WILDLIFE û AND OPEN A WINDOW ON THE ORIGINS OF LIFE On the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence lies an archipelago ofsome 40 islands that are part of the Canadian Shield that survived the volcanic fires of a billion years ago. The sea that lay at its edge witnessed the birth of the first marine organisms on earth and over time, their remains were compressed into a seabed of limestone strata. When the earth's crust shifted, this seabed rose up as a huge plateau. But water, wind and weather slowly broke it apart into a series of islands. Their limestone foundations are over 450 million years old. And they are a treasure-trove of fossils. Today, these guardians of the past continue to preserve the full diversity of life - the woodland and seabirds that co-exist with whales, seals, foxes and bears in an extraordinary partnership between land and sea. Experience the magic of this unique nature preserve with this remarkable proof coin in 99.99% pure silver.

NATIONAL PARKS - MINGAN ARCHIPELAGO - 2005 CANADIAN COINS 02 is categorised COINS AND PAPER MONEY / 08- ROYAL CANADIAN MINT / 10- FLORA, FAUNA & NATURE and sold by l'Imaginaire, a store and specialised website.