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Nova Scotia is a province located inEastern Canada fronting theAtlantic Ocean. One of theMaritime Provinces,Nova Scotia's geography is complex, despite its relatively small size in comparison to other Canadian provinces.
The mainland portion of theNova Scotia peninsula is attached to North America through theIsthmus of Chignecto. Various offshore islands, the largest of which isCape Breton Island, form the bulk of the eastern part of the province.
Thegeological history of the province spans more than 1.2 billion years[1].Continental drift led to the southern half of the province's mainland portion, theMeguma terrane, once being attached toAfrica whereas theAvalon terrane comprising the northern half, including Cape Breton Island, was once attached toScandinavia andScotland. The Meguma terrane became joined to the present North American landmass as part of theAppalachian orogeny. Composed largely of Cambrian to Ordovician sedimentary deposits, it is joined to the Avalon terrane along theMinas Fault Zone, which runs east–west fromChedabucto Bay toCobequid Bay.
Nova Scotia has a great variety of coastal landforms. Most of the land in Nova Scotia is bedrock. As a result of erosion and transportation of unconsolidated material, landforms such as beaches and marshes are being formed. These deposits are also being eroded and/or flooded by the rising sea level.
Glaciation during theQuaternary Period had an overwhelming effect upon the landscape. Glaciers abraded and plucked at the bedrock during their advances across the country, creating various deposits that vary in thickness and form; in some places, they are up to 300 meters thick.
Nova Scotia's numerous hills, several low mountain ranges (the entire province is located within theAppalachian Mountains), lush river valleys, lakes and forests, windswept barrens, and a varied sea coast ranging from extremely rugged to broad sandy beaches, can be attributed to these forces.
Nova Scotia forms part of the southern shores of theGulf of St. Lawrence and its sub-basin, theNorthumberland Strait. TheCabot Strait lies north and east of Cape Breton Island. The main part of theBay of Fundy lies off its northwestern shore, and large sub-basins including theCumberland Basin, theMinas Basin andCobequid Bay create major indentations into its coastline. TheGulf of Maine (of which the Bay of Fundy is a component) lies off the western shore. TheSouth Shore andEastern Shore, as well as the southern and eastern parts of Cape Breton Island constitute apelagic coast, fronting the open Atlantic Ocean.
The Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia has numerous offshorefishing banks which are submerged sections of thecontinental shelf. Rising sea levels since glaciation have inundated many parts of the coastline, including these areas on the continental shelf, providing rich habitat for marine life, as well as defining other unique features such as various coastal islands, bays, harbours and theBras d'Or Lake – an 1,100 square kilometres (420 sq mi)estuary that defines the central portion of Cape Breton Island.
Initially, settlement patterns in Nova Scotia were defined by water transportation routes for the Maritime Archaic Indian civilization, followed by their descendants, theMi'kmaq Nation, who used coastal waters for seasonal marine fishing and rivers and lakes for freshwater fishing.
European discovery resulted in settlements in protected natural harbours and along shorelines where convenient trade routes for sailing ships provided reliable transportation to markets inEurope,New England and theCaribbean. European settlers brought industrial fishing technologies and introduced large-scale forestry to sustain settlement construction and shipbuilding activities.
Wars between European military powers, notablyBritain andFrance, resulted in various territorial claims and numerous defence works established along Nova Scotia's coastal settlements and inland trade routes. The largest of these defensive installations was a French military fortified port atLouisbourg Harbour on Cape Breton Island. The fortified military port ofHalifax onHalifax Harbour was similarly founded to counter Louisbourg's presence. A French settlement atPort-Royal is currently the second longest continuously occupied European settlement in North America (afterSt. Augustine, Florida).
Originally part ofAcadia, the territory fluctuated for several decades through competing claims fromScotland (underSir William Alexander, who gave the territory the name "Nova Scotia" in honour of his homeland) andEngland. France relinquished Acadia in 1713 under theTreaty of Utrecht. However, the boundaries were not delineated, and Britain only gained control of present-day peninsular Nova Scotia. Britain's colonial capital was established atAnnapolis Royal, while France maintained control of Cape Breton Island (which they called Île Royale). The French territory of Acadia and New France finally fell permanently to Britain at the end of theSeven Years' War in 1763. The colonial capital was transferred from Annapolis Royal toHalifax in 1749 upon the establishment of that community.
Under British control, Acadian farming settlements that had been abandoned under theGreat Upheaval were populated by decommissioned soldiers and settlers brought from New England.Foreign Protestants were actively recruited to settle Nova Scotia (which at that time included present-dayNew Brunswick) as the Empire's "Fourteenth Colony" in America. The presence of theRoyal Navy and British Army in the colony largely contributed to stability that saw the colony remain loyal during theAmerican Revolutionary War. In 1784, Britain created the colony of New Brunswick to accommodateUnited Empire Loyalist refugees from the seceding American colonies. Cape Breton Island was also created as a separate colony, leaving Nova Scotia to its mainland peninsula once again. In 1820, the colony of Cape Breton Island was permanently folded back into Nova Scotia, resulting in the present-day provincial territory.
Transportation networks in the form of canals (theShubenacadie Canal) and later railways (theNova Scotia Railway, followed by theIntercolonial Railway, theDominion Atlantic Railway, theHalifax and Southwestern Railway and theSydney and Louisburg Railway), contributed to a growing trend toward urbanization in the years leading up to the entry intoConfederation in 1867. The settlement was concentrated around major industrial towns and port communities.
Motor vehicle usage in the 20th century led to highway development and suburban sprawl around larger centres.
Traditionally, Nova Scotia's economy has been defined by natural resources in the primary sector.
Resources available for mining includecoal,gypsum,iron ore,gold,salt andbarite. Offshore deposits of oil and natural gas have begun being exploited.
The fishing fleet operates on the continental shelf, especially on theGrand Banks. Years of overfishing have led to setbacks in production.Lobster,scallops, andhaddock are currently the biggest catches.
Inland, forests yield spruce lumber and the province's industries produce much pulp and paper. In the northwest, dairy farming is an important sector of the economy. TheAnnapolis Valley andKings County have orchards. There also are significant grain, hay, fruit, and vegetable crops. The bay lowlands, which were reclaimed by dikes in the 17th century, are very productive for agriculture.
The economy has been undergoing a slow transition to a post-industrial service-oriented structure in recent decades.Manufacturing is becoming the largest sector of Nova Scotia's economy.Iron andsteel are produced inSydney. Also, there is food processing (especially of fish), and manufacturing of automobiles, tires, sugar, and construction materials. Halifax is a railroad terminus and a year-round port. There are hydroelectric and tidal power-generating plants. Coast, countryside, and historical sites attract tourists.
Cape Breton Island is notable for its mining industry.[1] When explorers and settlers arrived here in the 17th and 18th centuries, they were focused on the coal, which was discovered in rocks and cliffs. Coal was used to heat houses and factories, used by blacksmiths to mold iron, and for the steam engines of trains.[1] Coal was extracted principally in the Sydney–Glace Bay area of Cape Breton Island until the mines were closed in 2001. Many mines have shut down as coal becomes a less popular fuel.[1] Despite this, Nova Scotia still gets most of its electricity from coal, most of which is now imported. Some of Cape Breton's mines have been turned into tourist attractions and museums, and retired miners take people on tours of old mines.[1]
Northumberland Strait, between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, is 320 kilometres (200 mi) long and approximately 14 to 50 kilometres (8.7 to 31.1 mi) wide. The shoreline varies from sandstone and sandy beaches in the west to granite rocky beaches in the east. The strait'sfishing industry is currently in a decline, butlobster remains a commonly sought species.
The areas north of theMinas Basin contain extensive coal seams, with numerous mines in production since 1758. There have been several disasters resulting in coal miners being injured or killed, the most famous being theSpringhill Mining Disaster (1958) and the most recent being theWestray Mine Disaster (1992).
The Cobequid Bay, the innermost part of the Bay of Fundy, experiences the world's highest tides, averaging up 49.5 feet (15.1 m) atBurntcoat Head. Parrsboro'sFundy Geological Museum houses the world's most complete collection of fossils from the Coal Age (approximately 300 million years ago) and theJoggins Fossil Cliffs have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many exceptional finds of dinosaurs and plant life have been found in the cliffs along the Bay of Fundy.
Among the longest rivers in Nova Scotia is theShubenacadie, which runs 78 kilometres (48 mi) from the Bay of Fundy intoGrand Lake in Enfield. This river is one of few worldwide which experience atidal bore, a visible rush of seawater twice daily during the incoming tide, caused by the funnel shape of the Bay of Fundy and the high tides which are experienced in the region.
Gypsum mining is an industry in central Nova Scotia south of the Minas Basin. The world's largest gypsum mine is located atMilford. Gypsum is a component indrywall production, which is used as a construction material. It can be used as asoil conditioner to improve drainage and fertility of the soil.
The area betweenDartmouth and Cape Breton is sparsely populated.[2]
The decline in the fishing industry has meant an outflow of people to larger urban areas and to other fishing villages in the province.[2]Sheet Harbour &Canso with populations of 885 & 820 respectively, are the largest communities. There are more than 300 communities along the Eastern Shore, which vary in size.
See main article:Tourism on the Eastern Shore (Nova Scotia)
Tourism is becoming an increasingly active industry along the Eastern Shore.
There is a Fisherman's Life Museum inJeddore Oyster Ponds. There is trout fishing & Atlantic salmon serves as a sport in rivers along the coast. AtEastern Passage there is a Fishermen's Village tourist attraction with a few stores.[2]
The largest beaches on the Eastern Shore are Lawrencetown Beach, inLawrencetown, Martinique Beach, nearMusquodoboit Harbour &Taylor Head Beach, located inSpry Bay, within the boundaries ofTaylor Head Provincial Park.
There are many lakes along the Eastern Shore, the largest of which arePorter's Lake,Lake Charlotte &Tangier Grand Lake.
Several major rivers flow into the harbours & coastal indents along the Eastern Shore, including:
In the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, the forests grow close to the water. A sawmill was constructed inSheet Harbour around the year 1921, at the head of the Northwest Arm. In 1971, the sawmill was destroyed byHurricane Beth. It was never rebuilt.
Lunenburg County's population is about 48,000, of which about 6000 people are Acadian. Many others are related to the first German settlers. It is known for its shipbuilding industry.[3] It is also becoming a tourist destination. TheBluenose was built here - the boat that appears on theCanadian dime.Highliner Foods has a production facility in Lunenburg.
Mahone Bay has three churches – Trinity United, St. John Lutheran and St. James Anglican[3] – which have stood by the head of the harbour for over one hundred years. The word "Mahone" derives fromMahone, the French word for the private ships that sailed by the shore of the Mahone Bay.[3]
Oak Island, also in Mahone, is believed to have treasures buried in it.[3]
Peggys Cove is a small community known for its rocky shore and lighthouses, one of which serves as aCanada Post office during the summer. It is also the location of theSwissair Flight 111 memorial and a sculpture by the residentWilliam E. deGarthe which serves as a monument to Nova Scotian fishermen.
On January 11, 1996, the House of Assembly declared the wild blueberry the Provincial Berry of Nova Scotia. The blueberry mainly grows in northeastern North America.[4]
Forests cover all of Nova Scotia.[5] In these woodlands, often nearly hidden with fallen leaves, grows the mayflower, also known as the trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens). In 1901 the mayflower was declared to be the Provincial Flower of Nova Scotia by the provincial legislature.[6]
Located on the east coast of Canada, Nova Scotia is almost entirely surrounded by the sea, which heavily influences the climate due to oncoming Atlantic storms.[7] Due to the ocean's moderating effect Nova Scotia has cool summers as opposed to other cities in Canada around the same latitude. Nova Scotia's maritime climate is influenced by the cold air masses passing from the centre of Canada and the warm air masses from the Atlantic Ocean. Winters can be very severe, blizzards occur several times each winter. Winters are cold compared with other coastal cities on the same latitude because the direction of the Atlantic currents is going east to Europe.
Because it juts out into the Atlantic, Nova Scotia is prone to tropical storms and hurricanes in the summer and autumn.[8]
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