Nova Scotia, one of Canada’s three maritime provinces, was originally inhabited by the Mi’kmaq people. They remained the only people until 1604 when the French arrived in the area, forming the first permanent European settlement in 1605 in Port Royal. This settlement would become known as Acadia. During its first 80 years, several battles broke out as various other European countries fought to gain control of the area. One of the main conflicts was between the French and British, which resulted in six different wars. These wars, starting with King Williams’ War in 1688, spanned throughout the 18th century, and ending in the Naval Battle off Cape Breton in 1781, helped to shape the history of Nova Scotia. This final battle, which took place during the American Revolution, lead to 33,000 British loyalists to settle in the area, as a form of compensation for the crown’s loss.
Moving into the 19th century, Nova Scotia was still involved in numerous wars. During the War of 1812, Nova Scotia contributed to the British war effort by purchasing and providing ships to attack the vessels of the United States. They also fought during the Crimean War and the American Civil War, on the side of the North. Soon after the American Civil War, Nova Scotia joined the Canadian Confederation on July 1, 1867. Since then, Nova Scotia has been prospering, bringing many businesses to the area. In addition, it became a front-runner in the wooden ship industry.
Nova Scotia is the second smallest province in Canada, only beating the Prince Edward Island in area. The Nova Scotia Peninsula, which is the mainland of the province, is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, the ocean is no more than 67km away from any point of the province. In addition, there are various bays and estuaries throughout the province. One main feature of the geography of this Canadian province is the many ancient fossil containing rock formations. These rock formations include fossils from as far back as the Carboniferous, Triassic, and Jurassic eras. Another startling feature of the area is their 5,400 lakes.
Nova Scotia is part of the mid-temperate zone for climate. Despite being surrounded by the ocean, its climate is closer to that of the continental climate. In fact, its climate is the most similar to the Baltic Sea coastal area of Eastern Europe. The only difference is that it is a lot wetter. Areas closest to the Atlantic Ocean have cooler summers and warmer winters than the more inland/non-coastal areas.
Nova Scotia’s GDP has lagged behind the rest of the country for the past decade. Despite this slow GDP growth, Nova Scotia is the leading exporter of Christmas trees, lobster, gypsum, and wild berries. In addition, its exportation of fish is very important to the area, bringing in a significant amount of money to the province. This is why the collapse of stocks of cod due to overfishing in the area caused the loss of 20,000 jobs in 1992. Since 1991, oil and gas have become a significant part of the economy. In addition to the various exports of Nova Scotia, tourism also contributes a lot to the economy. The industry supports 40,000 jobs by itself, bringing in $1.3 billion each year. One of the main forms of tourism are cruises that visit the province. There are also numerous museums showcasing the extraordinary history of the area.
No point in Nova Scotia is further than 67km from the Atlantic Ocean.
The various rock formations throughout the province include fossils from as far back as the Carboniferous, Triassic, and Jurassic eras.
Some of the popular food items of the area are Halifax donair (a variant of the doner kebab with thinly sliced meatloaf and a condensed milk sauce), hodge podge (a creamy soup of native vegetables), and blueberry grunt (a cobbler).
There are several well-known stars from Nova Scotia, including Ellen Page, Arthur Kennedy, and Donald Sutherland.
Nova Scotia Cities and Regional Municipalities Include: