Amherst, town, seat of Cumberland County, in northwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It lies on the isthmus of Chignecto between Northumberland Strait and Chignecto Bay, an arm of the Bay of Fundy. Amherst is an industrial center located in an agricultural and coal-mining area. Its economy relies partly on the manufacture of metal, wood, and plastic products, clothing, chemicals, aircraft parts, processed food, machinery, and electronic equipment. Tourism is also important to the town's economy. Originally settled by the French, who named it La Planche, the site was resettled by the English in 1759 and named for the British officer Lord Jeffrey Amherst. Amherst was incorporated in 1889. Population 9,671 (1986); 9,669 (1996).
