Nova ScotiaNova Scotia, one of the three Maritime and one of the four
Atlantic provinces ofCanada, bordered on the north by the Bay of Fundy,
the province of New Brunswick,Northumberland Strait, and the Gulf of
Saint Lawrence and on the east, south, and westby the Atlantic Ocean.
Nova Scotia consists primarily of a mainland section, linked toNew
Brunswick by the Isthmus of Chignecto, and Cape Breton Island,
separated from themainland by the Strait of Canso.On July 1, 1867, Nova
Scotia became one of the founding members of the
CanadianConfederation. The province's name, which is Latin for New
Scotland, was first appliedto the region in the 1620s by settlers from
Scotland. Physical Geography NovaScotia can be divided into
four major geographical regions-the AtlanticUplands, the Nova Scotia
Highlands, the Annapolis Lowland, and the Maritime Plain.The Atlantic
Uplands, which occupy most of the southern part of the province, are
madeup of ancient resistant rocks largely overlain by rocky glacial
deposits. The Nova ScotiaHighlands are composed of three separate
areas of uplands. The western section includesNorth Mountain, a long
ridge of traprock along the Bay of Fundy; the central sectiontakes in the
Cobequid Mountains, which rise to 367 m (1204 ft) atop Nuttby
Mountain;and the eastern section contains the Cape Breton Highlands,
with the province's highestpoint. The Annapolis Lowland, in the west, is a
small area with considerable fertile soil.Nova Scotia's fourth region, the
Maritime Plain, occupies a small region fronting onNorthumberland Strait.
The plain is characterized by a low, undulating landscape andsubstantial
areas of fertile soil. History The area now known as Nova Scotia
was originally inhabited by tribes ofAbenaki and Micmac peoples. The
Venetian explorer John Cabot, sailing under theEnglish flag, may have
reached Cape Breton Island in 1497.Colonial Period The first settlers of
the area were the French, who called it Acadia and foundedPort Royal in
1605. Acadia included present-day New Brunswick, Nova Scotia,
andPrince Edward Island. The English, rivals of the French in Europe and
the New World,refused to recognize French claims to Acadia, which they
called NovaScotia (NewScotland) and granted to the Scottish poet and
courtier Sir William Alexander in 1621.This act initiated nearly a century
of Anglo-French conflict, resolved by the Britishcapture of Port Royal
(now Annapolis Royal) in 1710 and the French cession of
mainlandAcadia to the British by the Peace of Utrecht in 1713. Thus, the
bulk of the RomanCatholic French-Acadians came under Protestant
British rule. In order to awe their newsubjects, the British founded the
town of Halifax as naval base and capital in 1749.Distrusting the
Acadians' loyalty in the French and Indian War, however, in 1755
theBritish deported them. This ruthless action was described by the
American poet HenryWadsworth Longfellow in Evangeline (1847). The
British replaced the Acadians withsettlers from New England and, later,
from Scotland and northern England. In 1758 theBritish conquered the
French fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton, which was joined toNova
Scotia and ceded to them in 1763. During the American Revolution,
the British colony of NovaScotia was a refugefor thousands of Americans
loyal to Britain, including many blacks. In 1784 the colonyof New
Brunswick was carved out of mainland NovaScotia to accommodate
theseUnited Empire Loyalists. Cape Breton also became separate. The
remaining NovaScotians, augmented by some returned Acadians and
many Scots and Irish immigrants,lived by fishing, lumbering, shipbuilding,
and trade. Some attained great wealth asprivateers during the
Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. After prolonged political struggle,
Britain granted NovaScotia (which includedCape Breton after 1820) local
autonomy, or responsible government, in 1848. Economicuncertainty and
political unease at the time of the American Civil War stimulated
someinterest in associating with the other British North American
provinces, but manytradition-minded Nova Scotians distrusted the
Canadians of Ontario and Qúebec. In1867, without consulting the
electorate, the NovaScotia government took its reluctantpeople into the
Canadian Confederation.Post-Confederation Period Although joining
the union failed to arrest Nova Scotia's economic decline, itresulted in rail
connections to the west and a federal tariff that encouraged
localmanufacturing. An iron and steel industry developed in Pictou
County and on CapeBreton, near extensive coal mines. Agricultural areas
found export markets, especiallyfor apples. From the end of World War I
through the depression of the 1930s, NovaScotia suffered industrial
decline and accompanying unemployment and labor unrest.Thousands
migrated to central and western Canada or immigrated to the United
States.The Maritime Rights movement of the 1920s, protesting Nova
Scotia's unfavorableeconomic position in relation to the rest of Canada,
accomplished little. After a revival of shipbuilding in World War II, Nova
Scotian industry facedproblems of obsolete equipment, heavy freight
costs, and dwindling resources. Localgovernment attempts to reverse the
trend through investment and diversification weredisappointing. In 1956
the electorate ended 26 years of Liberal rule by returning
theConservatives to power. Although the government subsidized
industrial development torejuvenate the local economy, the initiatives
were unsuccessful, and failures in theelectronics and nuclear energy
industries proved to be very expensive. In 1967 thegovernment took over
a failing steel plant in Sydney, which added steadily to theprovincial debt.
Later governments-first Liberal (from 1970-1978) and then
Conservative(since 1978)-have been unable to bring the local economy
up to parity with the rest ofCanada. Despite a rate of economic growth
that exceeded the national average from themid-1980s through the early
1990s, Nova Scotia, like other Maritime provinces, remainsone of the less
advantaged areas in the Canadian union.Historical Sites Nova Scotia
has preserved or reconstructed a number of historical sites. Theseinclude
Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Park, in Baddeck, with
exhibitsrelating to Bell's inventions while he lived here; Fort Anne National
Historic Site, inAnnapolis Royal, including the remains of a French fort
built from 1695 to 1708; FortEdward National Historic Site, in Windsor,
containing the remains of a mid-18th-centuryearthen fortification; and
Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, near Louisbourg,including a
partial reconstruction of a large French fort (built 1720-45; destroyed by
theEnglish, 1760). Grand Pré National Historic Site, near Grand Pré,
encompasses the site ofa former Acadian village; York Redoubt National
Historic Site includes a defense battery(begun 1790s) guarding Halifax
Harbour; and Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, inHalifax, contains a
massive 19th-century stone fortress. Also of interest is SherbrookeVillage
Restoration, in the Sherbrooke area, a restoration of a lumbering and
miningcommunity of the 1860s. Provincial GovernmentGovernment and
Politics NovaScotia has a parliamentary form of
government.Executive The nominal chief executive of NovaScotia is
a lieutenant governor appointed bythe Canadian governor-general in
council to a term of five years. The lieutenantgovernor, representing the
British sovereign, holds a position that is largely honorary.The premier,
who is responsible to the provincial legislature, is the actual head
ofgovernment and presides over the executive council, or cabinet, which
also includes theattorney general, minister of finance, minister of
education, and about 15 other officials.Legislature The unicameral
Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly is made up of 52 members,each
popularly elected to a term of up to five years. The lieutenant governor,
on theadvice of the premier, may call for an election before the 5-year
term has beencompleted.Judiciary Nova Scotia's highest tribunal,
the supreme court, is composed of an appealdivision with eight justices
(including the chief justice) and a trial division with 15justices. Supreme
court justices are appointed by the Canadian governor-general incouncil
and serve until the age of 75.Local Government NovaScotia is
divided into 18 counties. Other units of local government include3
incorporated cities and 39 incorporated towns, most of which are
governed by a mayorand council.National Representation Nova Scotia
is represented in the Canadian Parliament by 10 senators appointedby
the Canadian governor-general in council and by 11 members of the
House ofCommons popularly elected to terms of up to five years.Politics
Since NovaScotia became a province in 1867, the Liberal party
has been mostsuccessful in obtaining control of the provincial
government. From 1956 to 1970,however, the Progressive Conservative
party held a majority in the Legislative Assembly,and it regained this
position in 1978.IndustriesEconomy In the 19th century Nova Scotia
was known for trading, shipbuilding, and fishing.During the 20th century
the province's economy was expanded and diversified, in partthrough the
establishment of war-related industries in the two world wars. In the
early1990s services constituted the leading economic activity;
manufacturing, fishing, mining,and farming were also
important.Agriculture About 8 percent of Nova Scotia's land area is
devoted to crops and pasture, withsome of the best farmland located on
the Isthmus of Chignecto (connecting the provincewith New Brunswick)
and the Annapolis Lowland. The province has about 4000 farms,which
have an average size of some 100 hectares (247 acres). Annual cash
receipts fromsale of crops and of livestock and livestock products totaled
nearly Can.$300 million inthe early 1990s, with livestock and livestock
products accounting for about three-fourthsof the income. The leading
farm commodities are dairy products, poultry, hogs, beefcattle, eggs, fruit
(especially apples grown in the Annapolis Lowland), greenhouseproducts,
potatoes and other vegetables, and wheat.Forestry NovaScotia has a
substantial forestry industry, with about 4.2 million cu m(about 148 million
cu ft) of wood harvested per year. Most of the wood is used formaking
paper, and the rest is chiefly sawed into lumber. In addition, many trees
are cutfor use as Christmas trees.Fishing NovaScotia and British
Columbia have the largest fishing industries in Canada.In NovaScotia the
yearly fish catch in the early 1990s exceeded Can.$500 million, withmost
of the income derived from sales of shellfish, especially scallop and
lobster. Next invalue was cod; herring, shrimp, haddock, pollock, hake,
flounder, crab, and redfish alsowere important. Leading fishing ports
include Digby, Liverpool, Lunenburg, Shelburne,and Yarmouth.Mining
Coal, the most important material mined in Nova Scotia, had a
total yearly valuein the early 1990s of Can.$238 million, some 12 percent
of the Canadian total. The maincoal mines are on Cape Breton Island.
Approximately three-fourths of the gypsum minedannually in Canada is
produced in the province. Other important mineral products ofNova Scotia
include tin, stone, salt, sand and gravel, clay, peat, lead, zinc, and
barite.Manufacturing A leading sector of Nova Scotia's economy,
manufacturing employs about 49,000persons. The annual value of
shipments by manufacturing establishments in the provinceis some
Can.$5.3 billion. Principal manufactures include processed food (notably
fishproducts), paper and paper items, transportation equipment
(especially ships, aerospacesupplies, and motor vehicles), printed
materials, wood products, iron and steel,nonmetallic minerals, and
chemical products. Halifax and the Sydney area are
importantmanufacturing centers.Climate The sea moderates the climate
of Nova Scotia, which has mild winters comparedto the interior of Canada
and slightly cooler summers than many other areas in thesouthern part of
the nation. Halifax, which is fairly typical of the province, has a
meanJanuary temperature of -3.2° C (26.2° F) and a mean July
temperature of 18.3° C (65° F)and annually receives some 1320 mm
(some 52 in) of precipitation, including about 210mm (about 8.3 in) of
snow. The recorded temperature of NovaScotia has ranged from -41.1°
C (-42° F), in 1920 at Upper Stewiacke, to 38.3° C (100.9° F), in 1935
atCollegeville, near Sherbrooke. Fog is common along the southern coast
of the province inspring and early summer.Population According to
the 1991 census, NovaScotia had 899,942 inhabitants, an increaseof
3.1% over 1986. In 1991 the overall population density was about 16
persons per sqkm (42 per sq mi). English was the lone mother tongue of
some 93% of the people; about4 percent had French as their sole first
language. More than 13,000 Native Americanslived in Nova Scotia. The
churches with the largest membership in the province were theRoman
Catholic church, the United Church of Canada, and the Anglican Church
ofCanada. About 54 percent of all Nova Scotians lived in areas defined
as urban, and therest lived in rural areas. Halifax was the biggest city and
capital of the province; othermajor communities were Dartmouth, Sydney,
Glace Bay, and Truro.Land and Resources Nova Scotia, with an area
of 55,490 sq km (21,425 sq mi), is the smallestCanadian province except
for Prince Edward Island; about 3% of its land area is ownedby the
federal government. The province has an extreme length of about 600 km
(about375 mi) and an extreme breadth of about 160 km (about 100 mi);
almost 5% of its areaconsists of inland water surface. Elevations range
from sea level, along the coast, to 532m (1745 ft), in Cape Breton
Highlands National Park. The coastline of NovaScotia is7578 km (4709
mi) long. Sable Island is situated about 160 km (about 100 mi) offshorein
the Atlantic. NovaScotia contains large deposits of coal, gypsum, and
salt. Other mineraldeposits include barite, clay, copper, peat, sand and
gravel, stone, and zinc. Somepetroleum and natural gas have been found
under the Atlantic near Nova Scotia.Education and Cultural Heritage
Nova Scotia has a number of notable educational and cultural
institutions. Itsscenic landscape offers a wide variety of opportunities for
outdoor sports and recreation.Education Nova Scotia's first
education act, in 1766, provided for public schools, but notuntil 1811 did
nondenominational, free public education begin here. In the early
1990sthere were 527 elementary and secondary schools with a combined
annual enrollment ofapproximately 168,800 students. In the same period
the province's 22 institutions ofhigher education enrolled about 32,750
students. The institutions included DalhousieUniversity (1818), Mount
Saint Vincent University (1925), Saint Mary's University(1802), the
Technical University of NovaScotia (1907), and the NovaScotia College
ofArt and Design (1887), all in Halifax; Acadia University (1838), in
Wolfville; SaintFrancis Xavier University (1853), in Antigonish; Université
Sainte-Anne (1890), inChurch Point; the University College of Cape
Breton (1951), in Sydney; and Nova ScotiaAgricultural College (1905), in
Truro.Cultural Institutions Many of Nova Scotia's foremost museums and
other cultural facilities are locatedin Halifax. Among them are the Nova
Scotia Museum, with exhibits covering historicalthemes; the Maritime
Museum of the Atlantic, displaying memorabilia from the Titanicand other
marine artifacts; the Public Archives of Nova Scotia, featuring displays
ofdocuments, paintings, and artifacts of regional historical significance;
and the DalhousieArts Centre, which includes an auditorium and the
Dalhousie Art Gallery. Also of noteare the Fisheries Museum of the
Atlantic, in Lunenburg; and the DesBrisay Museum, inBridgewater, with
historical collections. Halifax is the home of Symphony Nova Scotia.Other
InformationSports and Recreation Nova Scotia's national and
provincial parks, its lengthy shoreline, and its riversand lakes offer ideal
conditions for boating, swimming, fishing, hiking, camping, andhunting.
Golf, tennis, skiing, and ice hockey are also popular sports in the
province.Communications In the late 1980s NovaScotia had 16
commercial AM radio stations, 8commercial FM stations, and 5
commercial television stations. The first radio station inthe province,
CHNS in Halifax, began operation in 1922. CJCB-TV in Sydney,
NovaScotia's first commercial television station, went on the air in 1954.
The Halifax Gazette,the first newspaper published in Canada, was initially
printed in Halifax in 1752. In theearly 1990s NovaScotia had seven daily
newspapers with a total daily circulation ofabout 218,700. Influential
newspapers included the Mail-Star of Halifax and the CapeBreton Post of
Sydney.Tourism Each year NovaScotia attracts more than one million
travelers; receipts fromtourism totaled almost Can.$800 million annually
in the early 1990s. Tourists are luredby the province's lovely scenery
(especially on Cape Breton Island) and its manyopportunities for
outdoor-recreation activities. Popular tourist areas include Cape
BretonHighlands and Kejimkujik national parks, 14 national historic sites,
and 122 provincialparks, recreation areas, and wildlife preserves. Many
people also visit Halifax.Transportation Most coastal areas of Nova
Scotia are well served by transportation facilities, butmany places in the
interior have poor transport connections. There are 25,740 km (15,994mi)
of roads and highways. The Trans-Canada Highway extends from the
NewBrunswick border, near Amherst, to Sydney Mines, on Cape Breton
Island, by way of theCanso Causeway (completed 1955) between the
island and the mainland. NovaScotia isalso served by 705 km (438 mi) of
mainline railroad track. Halifax is a major seaportwith modern facilities for
handling containerized shipping. Ferries link the province withNew
Brunswick, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and Maine. Nova
Scotia's busiestair terminal is Halifax International Airport.Energy Nova
Scotia's electricity generating capacity is about 2.2 million kw (about
2.1percent of total Canadian capacity). The province annually produces
about 9.4 billionkwh, or some 1.9 percent of the country's total electricity.
Hydroelectric facilitiesrepresent about one-sixth of the capacity, with the
rest largely accounted for by thermalinstallations burning refined
petroleum or coal.
. of -3 .2 C (26 .2 F) and a mean July
temperature of 18.3° C (65° F)and annually receives some 1 320 mm
(some 52 in) of precipitation, including about 21 0mm. Maine. Nova
Scotia& apos;s busiestair terminal is Halifax International Airport.Energy Nova
Scotia& apos;s electricity generating capacity is about 2. 2 million