Prince Edward Island

I

Introduction

Prince Edward Island, one of the three Maritime and one of the four Atlantic provinces of Canada, bounded on the north, east, and west by the Gulf of St Lawrence and on the south by Northumberland Strait (which separates it from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick).

Prince Edward Island became part of the Canadian Confederation on July 1, 1873, as the seventh province. Farming is the island's chief economic activity. The province is named after Edward Augustus, duke of Kent and Strathearn, a son of George III of England. It is also known by its acronym PEI or its nickname “The Island”.

II

Land and Resources

Prince Edward Island, with an area of 5,660 sq km (2,185 sq mi), is the smallest province of Canada. Its extreme length is about 195 km (120 mi), and its extreme width is about 65 km (40 mi). The province has a coastline of some 1,260 km (783 mi). Elevations range from sea level to 142 m (465 ft), near the community of Hunter River.

A

Physical Geography

All of Prince Edward Island is part of the Maritime Plain, which also covers parts of nearby New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The island is situated almost entirely at a low elevation, and the landscape is generally level to gently undulating. The province is covered with a thick, mostly stone-free mantle of glacial deposits. Iron in the underlying rock has given much of the fertile surface soil a reddish colour. Nearly all the rivers of Prince Edward Island are tidal; the tidal Hillsborough River almost bisects the province. No freshwater lakes of significant size occur.

B

Climate

Prince Edward Island has a cool, changeable climate. The average July temperature at Charlottetown is about 18.4° C (65° F), and the average January temperature in the city is about -6.7° C (20° F). The average annual precipitation of about 1,120 mm (44 in) is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.