The Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) in Nova Scotia, Canada has a widely varied geography. Physical geography Halifax Regional Municipality has an area of approximately , and is approximately in length between its eastern and westernmost extremities. HRM's shoreline "as the crow flies" is approximately in length, while its northern boundary is usually between 50 and 60 km inland. The coast, which is mostly rock with small isolated sand beaches in sheltered bays, is heavily indented by numerous inlets the largest of which are St. Margarets Bay, Halifax Harbour, Cole Harbour, Musquodoboit Harbour, Jeddore Harbour, Ship Harbour and Sheet Harbour. Given this fact, it takes approximately 3 hours to drive along the shore from Hubbards, located in the southwestern end of HRM, to Ecum Secum, away at the northeastern end. The Chebucto Peninsula, created by the indentations of St. Margarets Bay and Halifax Harbour (including the Bedford Basin), is a defining feature for the shape of the coastline at the western end of HRM, from which the Halifax Peninsula forms a sub-peninsula. Despite the size of its landmass, the population of the municipality is heavily concentrated, with rural communities located along the Eastern Shore and South Shore or in the Musquodoboit Valley. The majority of residents are concentrated in the urban area surrounding Halifax Harbour/Bedford Basin and extending up the Sackville River valley and northeast of the harbour along the Highway 102 corridor. Sable Island is part of HRM, despite being located offshore of neighbouring Guysborough County and approximately 300 km from HRM's urban core. HRM's boundary includes all of the former Halifax County, except for several First Nation reserves. The topography of HRM is quite varied, ranging from rocky shorelines to sandy beaches on the coast, to landscapes shaped by glaciation including exposed bedrock, numerous freshwater lakes, medium-sized rivers and streams, drumlins and low hills. The fertile valley along the Musquodoboit River in the northeastern part of HRM is the only agricultural district of note in the municipality. Aside from the settled communities and the urban area surrounding Halifax Harbour, the rest of the municipality's landscape mostly supports a dense combination of mixed Acadian or coniferous forests. HRM's population centre (urban area) is built on a series of hills and plateaus surrounding Halifax Harbour. The central part of the community of Halifax lies on a peninsula extending from the western side of the harbour and dominated by the drumlin which