Nova Scotia

Nothing has influenced Nova Scotia and its people more than the sea. Because the province is nowhere more than 130 kilometres wide, no part of it is far from the sea. With its fine harbours located near major sea-lanes, it has served as a military and naval bastion in many wars.

Nova Scotia
Flag
Capital	Halifax
Largest City	Halifax
Official Languages	English
Area	55,283 km2 (Ranked 12th)
Population (2009)	944,251 (est.) (Ranked 7th)
GDP per capita	C$34,210 (Ranked 11th)
Abbreviation	NS
Web Site	www.gov.ns.ca

Nova Scotia is known as Canada's Ocean Playground, and for good reason. For many Nova Scotians the sea is their main source of livelihood and leisure. But the ocean is much more than that. For more than 200 years the sea has played an integral role in the economy of the province. It was the abundant fishery that drew settlers to the area. They stayed to build a future in the many harbours and coves that are cut out along the coastline. To this day, their descendants work in a variety of professions that are related to the water.

The people of Nova Scotia remain its most valuable resource. Descendants of the early settlers and immigrants from around the world have grown together to mold a society that celebrates many cultures. The people have maintained their traditions, but not at the expense of adopting modern and progressive ways. Nova Scotia is the world's largest producer of lobsters, Christmas trees, and wild blueberries.

The development of industry in the province has benefited from this attitude. There has been little disruption of the environment. Natural attractions and a pleasant lifestyle are still cherished. Historic towns and villages have all the modern conveniences, but they still treasure their rich heritage.

A common greeting by people of all ethnic backgrounds to visitors in the province reflects this pride in the past, but warmth of the present. Don't be surprised to be welcomed with the Gaelic saying of the first Scottish settlers: "Ciad Mile Failte - A Hundred Thousand Welcomes."

• Immigration to Nova Scotia
• Jobs in Nova Scotia
• Nova Scotia Universities and Colleges

Nova Scotia Facts

• One of the four Atlantic provinces on the east coast of Canada
• Second smallest province (P.E.I. is the smallest)
• Made up of the mainland and Cape Breton Island
• Also includes over 3800 coastal islands 
• Capital city and largest city is Halifax - 372,858 (2006 Census Canada figures
• Halifax is an international seaport and transportation center.
• Flower - the Mayflower, tree -Red Spruce, bird - Osprey 
• "Nova Scotia" means "New Scotland" in Latin.
• Motto : " One defends and the other conquers"
  

  The People

• There are 938,310 people living in Nova Scotia.(2008)
• Many people live in or close to Halifax.
• Most of the communities are along the coast.
• First people were the Micmacs (Mi'Kmaq Indians).
• People came from Britain, Western Europe, and Southern Europe.
• Over eighty percent are of British ancestry, eighteen percent are of French ancestry
• Other groups include German, Dutch, Poles, Ukrainian, Chinese, Scandinavian and native people.
• N.S. has Canada's oldest African-Canadian community.
  

History

• The Vikings first visited around the year 990.
• Explorer John Cabot came to Nova Scotia in 1497.
• Micmac lived there. They hunted, fished, gathered plants and berries.
• French settlers arrived in 1605.
• A French settlement named Port Royal was built in 1605.
• The area was turned over to the British after a war.
• French colonists were forced to leave.
• Some went back to France while others went to the U.S. 
• Later settlers came from England, Germany, Scotland. 
• In 1783 the United Empire Loyalists came from the United States.
• In 1784 Nova Scotia was partitioned and the colonies of New Brunswick and Cape Breton Island were created. 
• In 1820 Cape Breton Island became part of Nova Scotia again.
• In 1867 Nova Scotia became a part of the Dominion of Canada.
  

Climate and Weather

• Cool dry air from the interior mixes with warmer wet air over the sea.
• Areas along the coast are milder and wetter than the areas inland.
• The Atlantic coast is foggy, especially in the spring.
• There are heavy rains and stormy weather in the fall.
• The province has experienced hurricanes in the late summer.
  

Water and Land

• The province is almost surrounded by water.
• The Atlantic Ocean is to the south and east.
• Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are connected by a small land bridge (28 km Isthmus of Chignecto) .
• The Bay of Fundy stretches between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. 
• The Bay of Fundy has world's highest tides. 
• Much of the province is part of the Appalachian Region.
• The province is covered with forests and lakes.
• There are 3000 small lakes.
• Almost 7500 km is rocky coastline.
• There are salt marshes and ice-free deep water harbours along the coast.
• The Strait of Canso (1.2 km wide) separates the mainland of Nova Scotia from Cape Breton Island. 
• The Canso Causeway is a road which connects the island to the mainland.
  

Resources/Industries

• Coal mining, fishing and fish processing were once major industries.
• The Fishery is the oldest and most important natural resource.
• Haddock and cod were once caught in great numbers.
• Scallops, crabs, clams, cod, haddock, pollock, herring and salmon are caught in the waters off Nova Scotia.
• Lobsters from N.S. are shipped all across Canada.
• There are about 160 fish processing plants. 
• The main mineral is coal which is used for making electricity.
• Refineries turn oil into gasoline and other products.
• Both hardwood and softwood forests cover much of the province. 
• Forest products include lumber, pulp and paper and Christmas trees.
• There are three pulp and paper mills and several hundred sawmills.
• Nova Scotia is among the leading producers of gypsum in the world. Gypsum is used in the manufacture of wallboard.
• Apples, blueberries, pears and strawberries are grown in the Annapolis Valley.
  

People and Places

• Anne Murray is a singer and songwriter from Springhill, who has many gold singles. 
• Singer Rita MacNeil and musician Ashley MacIssac are from Nova Scotia.
• Marconi sent the first official west-to-east wireless ( radio) message across the Atlantic Ocean from Table Head, Cape Breton Island in 1902.
• A. Gesner made kerosene in the 1850s. The kerosene was burned in lamps and lanterns. He is known as the Father of the Petroleum Industry. 
• Thomas Haliburton was a famous writer who wrote books about a character named Sam Slick.
• Joshua Slocum was the first to sail alone around the world in the 1890s.
  
• In the 1920s and 1930s the Bluenose schooner was famous for winning international races.
• Nova Scotia is called "Canada's ocean playground" 
• Fishing villages and lighthouses along the coastline attract tourists.
• Peggy's Cove is a well-known fishing village with a lighthouse. 
• The Citadel is a fort built (1856) on a hill overlooking Halifax harbour.
• Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site (Cape Breton Island) has a museum displaying his inventions. He is the inventor of the telephone.
• The Fortress of Louisbourg (Cape Breton Island) is the largest reconstructed 18th-century French fortified town in North America. 
• Bras d'Or lake (Cape Breton Island) is a saltwater lake that is a nesting site of the endangered bald eagle.