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A Look at the Provinces, Part IX: Prince Edward Island

© David Newman

This is the ninth article in the series. Prince Edward Island is the Island province between North of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The Small Island, not the big one, that would be Newfoundland. PEI, as it is abbreviated, is the smallest and least populated province in Canada. It has an area of 5,660 square kilometres and has a population of 129,765 people (Less than Brampton, Ontario). The Capital is Charlottetown, where the Concept of Confederation Started yet it joined latter, 1873.

The province of Prince Edward Island (named after Prince Edward. What did you think?) is completely in the Appalachian natural region. Nova Scotia is the smallest province in Canada.

Jacques Cartier is believed to have landed on the northern shore of Prince Edward Island in 1534 and claiming it for France and King Francois I. He named the Island "Ile Saint Jean". The French have had control over Prince Edward Island until 1763 with only a few British take-overs or raids or whatever. Anyway the Brits renamed the Island, big surprise, nothing other than Saint John Island, wow what originality. It was administered by Nova Scotia (see last week's article). In 1799, it was named Prince Edward Island after the Duke of Kent. It was a bit after then that PEI stopped being a fishing province and turned to PEI potatoes. In 1851, the Brits gave PEI control over domestic affairs. Then it happened. In 1864, a bunch of Delegates from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland joined in Charlottetown for a union of Maritime Colonies. Also there, were two delegates from the Province of Canada (one for Canada West, John Alexander MacDonald, and one for Canada East, Georges Etienne Cartier) who convinced them to rethink their project to include all British North American Colonies. Canada was created in 1867 without Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. PEI joined in 1873, the seventh province in the union (after Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Manitoba). Nothing else really happened in Prince Edward Island since except the building of the Confederation Bridge that links the island with New Brunswick.

Fishing was the main source of economy for a long time until the 1800's when Prince-Edward-islanders (whatever their called) turned to Agriculture, mainly the potato, that has made them a leader in the world of potatoes.

Islanders are 45% British or Irish. About half the population is Roman Catholic and the island is mainly rural as more than half the population live in the country. It is the only province (or Territory) in Canada who's rural population exceeds its urban population.

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