About Canada - A Guide to The Atlantic Provinces
Rugged and sparsely populated The Atlantic Provinces of Canada are on the far east coast of that country and have in the past made much of their income from the area's large fisheries. This is changing in the region, as oil production, information technology, biomedical research, post-secondary education and tourism become more important for local economies.
The Provinces that make up The Atlantic Provinces:
Newfoundland and Labrador
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
The people of the Atlantic Provinces are historically of west European (Scottish, Irish, English, French (Acadians)) and First Nations heritage. The Mi'kmaq Nation's reserves throughout Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and eastern New Brunswick dominate aboriginal culture in the Maritimes region, while Newfoundland and Labrador has a unique history of Innu, Inuit, and Mi'kmaq groups. The first aboriginal group likely to have encountered Europeans in Newfoundland, the Beothuck, has long since disappeared.
Despite the region's strong Aboriginal and Acadian cultural heritage, it normally conjures up Celtic images for Canadian tourists, on account of the Scottish and Irish heritage of these provinces. A fragment of Gaelic culture remains in Nova Scotia but primarily on Cape Breton Island, where Gaelic is still a dominant language in some communities.
Historically, Acadia (in French Acadie) was the name given by the French to a territory in northeastern North America, including parts of eastern Quebec, the Atlantic Provinces of Canada and modern-day New England stretching as far south as Philadelphia. Later, the territory was divided into the British colonies which were to become American states and Canadian provinces. The Acadians, unfortunately, were forcibly expelled from the region by the British. Famously, many of these expelled Acadians found their way to Louisiana, becoming known as Cajuns.
Today, Acadia refers to regions of Atlantic Canada with French roots, language, and culture. In the abstract, Acadia refers to the existence of a French culture on Canada’s east coast. Recently, Canada celebrated 400 years of Acadia (although it also celebrated 500 years of the French presence on the island of Newfoundland).
Canada
Canada is located directly above the United States of America, sharing land borders with the country, and comprises most of North America. The country extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean (east to west) and north into the Arctic Ocean.
A parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy, Canada is a federation that comprises ten provinces and three territories. It is officially bilingual and multicultural with English and French represented at federal level.
Geography:
Canada shares a land border with the United States of America to the South and to the Northwest. Being the second largest country in the world, it stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and to the North until the Arctic Ocean.
Canada's climate varies based on geography - in the north the temperature is almost permanently at freezing level, however towards the equator there are generally four distinct seasons. In this region the temperature can climb up to 35 degrees Celsius in the Summer and descend to a chilly -25 degrees Celsius during Winter. This means that most Canadian cities are within 300 km of the southern border - it is here that mild springs, hot summers and crisp autumns reign.
Winters are harsh in many areas of the country and in non-coastal areas snow can cover the ground for almost six months of the year. Interior and Prairie provinces experience a continental climate.
Did You Know?
- Canada's national motto is A Mari Usque Ad Mare, which translated from Latin means "From Sea to Sea" and is no doubt in reference to the large land mass the country boasts.
- Canada's official national sports are ice hockey (Winter) and lacrosse (Summer).
© Written by E.J.Clarke.
Canada
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