The geological structure mentioned earlier begins on the southern coast near Port aux Basques and continues up the west coast to the end of the Northern Peninsula - a coastal plain with the ocean on one side and the escarpments of the Long Mountains on the other. The width of the plain varies from almost non-existent to several miles wide.

The vegetation tends to be stunted and twisted from the effects of the almost constant wind and the salt spray it carries inland. This produces a habitat type known as "tuckamoor", examples of which can be seen all over the world.