ThecoastoftheStateofMaineisoneofthemostirregularintheworld．Astraightlinerunningfromthesouthernmostcoastalcitytothenorthernmostcoastalcitywouldmeasureabout225miles．Ifyoufollowedthecoastlinebetweenthesepoints
The coast of the State of Maine is one of the most irregular in the world．A straight line running from the southernmost coastal city to the northernmost coastal city would measure about 225miles．If you followed the coastline between these points，you would travel more than ten times as far．This irregularity is the result of what is called a drowned coastline．The term comes from the glacial（冰川的）activity of the Ice Age．At that time，the whole area that is now Maine was part of a mountain range that towered above the sea．As the glacier descended，however，it applied enormous force on those mountains，and they sank into the sea．
As the mountains sank，ocean water charged over the lowest parts of the remaining land．And the highest parts of the former mountain range，nearest the shore，remained as islands．Marine fossils found here are 225feet above sea level indicating the level of the shoreline prior to the glacier．
The 2，500-mile-long rocky and jagged coastline of Maine keeps watch over nearly 2，000islands．Many of these islands are tiny and uninhabited，but many are home to blooming communities．Mt．Desert Island is one of the largest，most beautiful of the Maine coast islands left behind by the glacier．Measuring 16miles by 12miles，Mt．Desert was very nearly formed as two distinct islands．It is split almost in half by Somes Sound，a very deep and very narrow stretch of water seven miles long．
For years，Mt．Desert Island，particularly its major settlement，Bar Harbor，has afforded summer homes for the wealthy．Recently，though，Bar Harbor has become a new arts community as well．But the best part of the island is the unspoiled forest land known as Acadia National Park．Since the island sits on the border between two different geographical zones，the park supports the plants and animals of both zones．It also lies in a major bird migration lane and is a resting spot for many birds．
The establishment of Acadia National park in 1916means that this natural mo