A long narrow inlet of the sea between steep cliffs; common in Norway; SYN. fiord.
Narrow sea inlet enclosed by high cliffs. Fjords are found in Norway, New Zealand, and western parts of Scotland. They are formed when an overdeepened U-shaped glacial valley is drowned by a rise in sea-level. At the mouth of the fjord there is a characteristic lip causing a shallowing of the water. This is due to reduced glacial erosion and the deposition of moraine at this point.
Fiordland is the deeply indented SW coast of South Island, New Zealand; one of the most beautiful inlets is Milford Sound.