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Prince Edward Island

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Prince Edward Island is a beautiful province in Canada.

Prince Edward Island by Sentinel-2, 2020-09-05 (small version)
Prince Edward Island by Sentinel-2, 2020-09-05 (small version)

It sits in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. You can find it near Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The island is north of the Halifax peninsula. It is also east of Quebec City. This is the only Canadian province made entirely of islands.

Prince Edward Island topographic map-blank
Prince Edward Island topographic map-blank

It is the smallest province by land area and population. However, it has the highest population density in the country. This means many people live in close spaces. The largest city and capital is Charlottetown.

Rear of Province House , Charlottetown, PEI (19000152484)
Rear of Province House , Charlottetown, PEI (19000152484)

The island has a very special climate. It is a maritime climate. This means the sea affects the weather. The warm waters of the Gulf make it milder than nearby places. Still, the weather changes very quickly. In July and August, days are warm. In January and February, the days are much colder. Sometimes the Gulf of St. Lawrence freezes over.

Ice as far as the eye can see in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (39250866530)
Ice as far as the eye can see in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (39250866530)

When this happens, the weather acts more like a continental climate. This brings many winter storms and blizzards. The island gets a lot of rain and snow each year. People get their drinking water from deep underground wells.

Long ago, the Mi'kmaq people lived here. They called the land Epekwitk. This name means "land cradled on the waves."

Prince Edward Island map 1775
Prince Edward Island map 1775

In 1604, French colonists arrived. They called the area Isle St-Jean. Later, the British took control in 1763. The island became its own colony in 1769. In 1798, it was named Prince Edward Island. This was after Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. He was the father of Queen Victoria.

Acadie1744 IPE
Acadie1744 IPE

History also connects the island to the start of Canada. In 1864, leaders met at the Charlottetown Conference. They talked about joining different provinces together. This led to Canadian Confederation in 1867. The island did not join right away. It faced money problems from building railroads. Finally, it joined Canada on July 1, 1873. It became the seventh province.

Charlottetown Conference Delegates, September 1864
Charlottetown Conference Delegates, September 1864

Life on the island involves many different jobs. Farming is a very big part of the economy. The island grows 25% of all potatoes in Canada.

Bye Bye PEI (208645591)
Bye Bye PEI (208645591)

People also work in fishing, tourism, and even aerospace. Many residents have names from Scottish, Irish, or English roots. You might see red foxes or raccoons in the wild.

Main Building in Autumn (4117130577)
Main Building in Autumn (4117130577)

Even rare North Atlantic right whales visit the waters nearby. The island is a place where nature and history meet.

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🖼️ Images & Media (22)
File:Prince Edward Island by Sentinel-2, 2020-09-05 (small version).jpg
Prince Edward Island by Sentinel-2,...
File:Ice as far as the eye can see in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (39250866530).jpg
Ice as far as the eye can see in the Gulf...
File:Prince Edward Island topographic map-blank.svg
Prince Edward Island topographic map-blank.svg
File:Winter River, PEI (6913968185).jpg
Winter River, PEI (6913968185).jpg
File:Acadie1744 IPE.jpg
Acadie1744 IPE.jpg
File:Deportation of the Acadians (22289143685).jpg
Deportation of the Acadians (22289143685).jpg
File:Prince Edward Island map 1775.jpg
Prince Edward Island map 1775.jpg
File:Charlottetown Conference Delegates, September 1864.JPG
Charlottetown Conference Delegates,...
File:Confederation Centre of the Arts.jpg
Confederation Centre of the Arts.jpg
File:Canada Prince Edward Island Density 2016.png
Canada Prince Edward Island Density 2016.png
File:Ethnic origin of the population of Prince Edward Island.png
Ethnic origin of the population of Prince...
File:Ile-du-Prince-Edouard langues.png
Ile-du-Prince-Edouard langues.png

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