ORIGIN OF PROVINCE NAME: The area was first called "Acadia" by French settlers and later "New Caledonia" (meaning "New Scotland" from the Latin name for northern Britain). The anglicized "Nova Scotia" name dates from 1621, when Sir William Alexander, a Scot, was given a charter to colonize the area.

NICKNAME: Bluenose Country or Canada's Ocean Playground.

CAPITAL: Halifax.

ENTERED CONFEDERATION: 1 July 1867.

SONG: "Farewell to Nova Scotia."

MOTTO: Munit hac et altera vincit (One defends and the other conquers).

COAT OF ARMS: In the center, the provincial shield of arms displays (in a fashion similar to that of the provincial flag) the cross of St. Andrew, patron saint of Scotland, in blue on a white background. In the center of the cross are the Royal Arms of Scotland. Above the provincial shield is a royal helmet with a blue and silver scroll that represents the royal cloak. Two joined hands (one with a gauntlet and the other bare) are above the crest, supporting a branch of laurel which stands for peace and a branch of thistle representing Scotland. Above all, the provincial motto appears on a scroll. Supporting the shield are a white royal unicorn on the left representing England and an Aboriginal Canadian on the right holding an arrow. Beneath the shield is a grassy mound with mayflower entwined with the thistle of Scotland.

FLAG: The flag is based on the provincial shield of arms. It has a blue St. Andrew's Cross on a white field, with the Royal Arms of Scotland mounted at the center.

FLORAL EMBLEM: Trailing arbutus, also called mayflower.

TARTAN: Blue, white, green, red, and gold.

PROVINCIAL BIRD: None adopted.

TREE: Red spruce.

MINERAL: Stilbite.

GEMSTONE: Agate.

TIME: 8 AM AST = noon GMT.

Source Database: Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Canadian Provinces

Table of Contents
AGRICULTURE | ARTS | CLIMATE | COMMERCE | COMMUNICATIONS | DOMESTICATED ANIMALS | ECONOMY | EDUCATION | ENERGY AND POWER | ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | ETHNIC GROUPS | FAMOUS NOVA SCOTIANS | FISHING | FORESTRY | FURTHER READINGS | HEALTH | HISTORY | HOUSING | INCOME | INDUSTRY | JUDICIAL SYSTEM | LABOR | LANGUAGES | LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS | LOCAL GOVERNMENT | LOCATION AND SIZE | MIGRATION | MINING | PLANTS AND ANIMALS | POLITICAL PARTIES | POPULATION | PRESS | PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT | PUBLIC FINANCE | RELIGIONS | SOURCE CITATION | SPORTS | TAXATION | TOPOGRAPHY | TOURISM, TRAVEL, AND RECREATION | TRANSPORTATION | VIEW MULTIMEDIA FILE(S)

LOCATION AND SIZE

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's Atlantic provinces and consists largely of a peninsula that is 360 miles (580 kilometers) in length. The peninsula is surrounded by four bodies of water--the Atlantic Ocean, the Bay of Fundy, the Northumberland Strait, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A narrow passage on the northwest (the Chignecto Isthmus) connects the province to New Brunswick. Its geographic location, together with large, ice-free, deepwater harbors, has been a key factor in the province's economic development.

With an area of 21,425 square miles (55,491 square kilometers), Nova Scotia is larger than Denmark, although somewhat smaller than Scotland, after which it is named. In size, it is the second smallest of the ten Canadian provinces. Its average width of 80 miles (128 kilometers) means that no part of the province is far from the sea. The highest point is North Barren Mountain, at 1,745 feet (531 meters) above sea level.

TOPOGRAPHY

The province is comprised of a peninsula, connected to the remainder of Canada by 17 miles (27 kilometers) of land, along with the island of Cape Breton (mainly highland country broken by lakes, rivers, and valleys), which is joined to the mainland by a 0.9-mile (1.4-kilometer) causeway. Nova Scotia is a mosaic of rugged headlands, tranquil harbors, and ocean beaches. Its indented shoreline stretches 6,478 miles (10,424 kilometers), while inland is a myriad of lakes and streams. The land is framed by the rocky Atlantic Uplands, the Cape Breton Highlands, and the wooded Cobequid Hills. The agricultural areas of Nova Scotia are predominantly lowlands. The northern coastal belt of low, level land stretches along the Northumberland Strait from the New Brunswick border to Cape Breton Island. When the glacial ice withdrew from coastal Nova Scotia 15,000 to 18,000 years ago, the ocean flooded ancient river valleys and carved out hundreds of small protected harbors which later became fishing ports.

CLIMATE

Nova Scotia lies in the northern temperate zone and, although it is almost surrounded by water, the climate is classified modified continental rather than maritime. The temperature extremes of a continental climate, however, are moderated by the ocean. Because of cool currents of air and water from the Arctic alternating with warmer breezes from the Gulf Stream, extremes of summer and winter temperatures are not as evident as in central Canada. Average daily temperatures at the Halifax International Airport range from 21°F (-6°C) to 65°F (18.2°C) in July. The total average annual precipitation of 58.7 inches (1,490 millimeters) includes 107 inches (271 centimeters) of snowfall.

Only on rare occasions does the temperature rise above 90°F (32°C) or fall below 14°F (-10°C) in winter. The frost-free season ranges from 120 days in northern Nova Scotia to 145 days in the Annapolis Valley. The highest recorded temperature in Nova Scotia was 101°F (38.3°C) on 19 August 1935 at Collegeville, and the lowest was -42°F (-41.1°C) on 31 January 1920 at Upper Stewiacke.

PLANTS AND ANIMALS

Nova Scotia has more than 250 bird and mammal species. Deer, rabbit, pheasant, and ruffed grouse are prominent upland species, while beaver and waterfowl are common wetland species.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

As in New Brunswick, the impact of drifting air pollution from industrial centers in the southeast (which results in acid rain falling in Nova Scotia and the other maritime provinces) is a local concern. Nova Scotia itself annually releases about 430,000 tons of nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide (gases that cause smog), 248,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide (gases that produce acid rain), and the equivalent of 4.7 million tons of carbon dioxide. There are 50 landfills and 3 municipal incinerators. Although Nova Scotia generates about 2.6 percent of Canada's hazardous waste, the province has no hazardous waste disposal sites.

Nova Scotia has more than 400 companies with 2,500 employees in the environmental sector. These firms work in such specialties as remote sensing, geographic information systems, waste utilization, and water and wastewater treatment products and services. Nova Scotia Power Inc. is a world leader in the clean burning of coal for electricity generation, and has been approached by several Caribbean and Asian utilities for advice on how to control fossil fuel emissions.

HISTORY

The Micmac Indians inhabited Nova Scotia long before the first explorers arrived from Europe. The first visitors were Norsemen in the early 11th century.

EUROPEAN EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT

In June 1497, Italian explorer John Cabot noted the rich fishing grounds in the area, and planted the English flag on the northern Cape Breton shore, when there were already 25,000 native Micmac Indians in Nova Scotia. It was the French, however, in 1605, under Pierre du Gua, Sieur de Monts, who established the first permanent settlement of Europeans north of the Gulf of Mexico at Port Royal (now called Annapolis Royal). Samuel de Champlain accompanied him and organized the famous Order of Good Cheer, the first social club in North America.

In the 17th century, all of Nova Scotia, as well as parts of Québec, New Brunswick, and Maine, which made up an area known as Acadia, was settled by the French. In the early 1700s the English began to seriously contest the French ownership of the province. The English claim went back to 1621 when King James I granted the province to Sir William Alexander. King James named Nova Scotia "the Royal Province," and in 1625 a royal coat of arms was granted. From this crest came the Nova Scotia flag, which made it the first colony of Great Britain with its own flag. Control passed back and forth between the British and French until 1713, when all of Acadia was ceded to the British under the Treaty of Utrecht.

18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES

For a century the Acadians, French-speaking settlers in the Minas Basin area, prospered in their trade with the New England states while England and France continued their battle for the territory. The French fortress at Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island was captured by the British and then handed back in 1748 under the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. A year later the seat of government moved from Annapolis Royal to Halifax, when Governor Edward Cornwallis established a garrison and settlement there. British distrust in 1755 led to the expulsion to Louisiana and Virginia of all Acadians who would not swear allegiance to the British Crown. Louisbourg fell to the British for the last time in 1758. After British control was firmly established in Nova Scotia, many of the Acadians returned.

In 1753, 2,000 Protestants from Germany founded the town and county of Lunenburg. In 1760, 22 shiploads of "New England Planters" (farmers from New England) arrived to occupy lands vacated by the Acadians. Seven years later, 7,000 more Planters settled mainly in the Annapolis Valley. In the 1770s, 11 shiploads of Yorkshiremen settled in Cumberland County where many of their descendants still farm the land. Following the American Revolution (1775-83), 25,000 British Loyalists arrived from the newly independent New England states of the United States of America; 10,000 of them founded the Town of Shelburne in 1783. The influx of the Loyalists doubled Nova Scotia's population, so in 1784 it was partitioned to create the colonies of New Brunswick and Cape Breton Island. After the War of 1812, several thousand blacks, including the Chesapeake Blacks, settled in the Halifax-Dartmouth area. Early in the 1800s, the Highland Scots started to arrive and within 30 years 50,000 had settled on Cape Breton Island and in Pictou and Antigonish counties.

In 1848, largely through the efforts of newspaper owner and patriot Joseph Howe, Nova Scotia became the first British colony to win responsible government. Nova Scotia was one of the four provinces that formed the new federation called the Dominion of Canada in 1867. The British soon realized that the defense of Canada from a future attack by the United States would be impossible. Troops were first withdrawn from central Canada in 1871. By the turn of the century, the last of the British troops were withdrawn from imperial fortresses at Nova Scotia.

When Nova Scotia joined other provinces to form the Dominion of Canada, the province was in the forefront of international shipbuilding, and the lumber and fish trades. Confederation helped to finance the railroad to Québec City, which opened the province to the interior of the continent. Later, both world wars emphasized the importance of Halifax, Nova Scotia's capital, as a staging point for convoys and confirmed it as one of the world's major military ports.

EARLY 20TH CENTURY

During World War I (1914-18), Canada lost more than 68,000 soldiers. Veterans returning to Nova Scotia faced a bleak future of scarce low-paying jobs, while tariffs on imports kept prices for consumer goods high. During the 1920s, however, Canada experienced a period of rapid growth in industry. Transportation improvements--railways and roads--enabled businesses to flourish. Automobiles, telephones, electrical appliances, and other consumer goods became widely available.

As in the United States, all of Canada suffered during the Great Depression. In addition to the problems with grain prices during the early 1920s, droughts and frequent crop failures devastated the national economy, which still relied heavily on agriculture. Social welfare programs rapidly expanded during the 1930s, with much of the burden placed on the provincial and municipal governments.

Following World War II (1939-45), consumer spending and immigration to Canada rapidly increased. Urbanization spread quickly by means of the National Housing Act, which made home ownership more easily available. Unemployment insurance and other social welfare programs were also created following the war. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent, old age pensions were increased in 1951 and a national hospital insurance plan was introduced in 1957.

Canada's unity as a confederation has often been widely questioned. Most recently, the popular defeat of both the Meech Lake Accord of 1987 and the Charlottetown Accord of 1992 failed to resolve the issue of Québec's role in Canada. If Québec does eventually secede from Canada, the fate of the traditionally poorer maritime provinces would be uncertain.

MIGRATION

The Micmac tribe inhabited Nova Scotia long before the first explorers arrived from Europe. In the 17th century, all of Nova Scotia (as well as parts of Québec, New Brunswick, and Maine, which made up an area known as Acadia) was settled by the French. In the next century, migration involved the forced deportations of Acadians (the descendants of the original French settlers) and their return, as well as an influx of British Loyalists from the American colonies following the American Revolution (1775-83). More recent immigrants to Nova Scotia in the 19th and 20th centuries have included Chinese, Indo-Chinese, African, Asian and eastern European groups. International migration, on a net basis, has not made a significant contribution to population change since the 1960s.

In 1996, 29.1 percent of the 41,955 immigrants living in Nova Scotia had come from the United Kingdom, 21 percent from the United States, 5.6 percent from Germany, and 4.9 percent from the Netherlands. Of the 6,490 recent immigrants who came to the province during 1991-96, 12.9 percent were from the United States, 8.1 percent were from Kuwait, 5.9 percent were from the United Kingdom, and 5.8 percent were from India.

In 1996, 1.1 percent of Nova Scotia's residents age 5 and older had lived abroad in 1991. Some 8.1 percent had lived elsewhere in Nova Scotia, while 5.6 percent had lived in another province five years earlier. Ontario is the leading province of origin and destination for interprovincial migration.

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

The government of Nova Scotia consists of a 52-member elected House of Assembly and Lieutenant Governor who is the Queen's representative in the province. The lieutenant governor is appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the federal cabinet, acting on recommendation of the prime minister. The Legislative Assembly is elected by the people of Nova Scotia for a term of five years. It may be dissolved, however, at any time by the lieutenant governor on the advice of the premier of the province. Ministers of the Executive Council, or Cabinet, are selected by the premier from elected representatives of the majority party.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Nova Scotia consists of 18 counties, of which 12 are separate municipalities and the other 6 are each separated into two districts. The 24 rural municipalities contain 39 incorporated towns and 3 cities. Towns must have a population of at least 1,500 in an area of less than 640 acres (1 square mile). In total, there are 66 municipal units in Nova Scotia--cities, towns, and rural municipalities--which have local governments with powers to enact bylaws governing such matters as zoning and planning.

JUDICIAL SYSTEM

The Canadian Constitution grants provincial jurisdiction over the administration of justice, and allows each province to organize its own court system and police forces. The federal government has exclusive domain over cases involving trade and commerce, banking, bankruptcy, and criminal law. The Federal Court of Canada has both trial and appellate divisions for federal cases. The nine-judge Supreme Court of Canada is an appellate court that determines the constitutionality of both federal and provincial statutes. The Tax Court of Canada hears appeals of taxpayers against assessments by Revenue Canada.

In 1996, there were 18 homicides in Nova Scotia, for a rate of 1.9 per 100,000 persons. The crime rate that year was 1,119 per 100,000 people for violent crimes, and 4,018 per 100,000 people for property crimes.

LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS

Historical houses, sites, and museums attract tourists and residents who wish to examine the history of the province. These include the Fortress of Louisbourg, the Port Royal Habitation, Fort Anne, the Halifax Citadel, the Alexander Graham Bell Museum, Sherbrooke Village, Ross Farm, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, and many more.

POLITICAL PARTIES

Political parties first appeared in Nova Scotia in the 1830s. The Liberal Party was in the minority from 1836 to 1867 and was primarily against entry into the confederation. After 1867, however, it became the majority party and held power until 1956 (with brief interruptions in 1878, 1925, and 1928). After 1956, the Conservative Party took the majority until the 1970s.

The last general election was held on 24 March 1998. The parties held the following number of seats in Nova Scotia's House of Assembly as of March 1999: Liberals, 19; Progressive Conservatives, 9; and New Democrats, 19.

TOURISM, TRAVEL, AND RECREATION

Recreational activities in Nova Scotia are often centered on the seacoast because of its proximity to most of the population. While the water is on the cool side along the Atlantic coast, the beaches on the Northumberland Strait enjoy some of the warmest waters north of the Gulf of Mexico. Kejimkujik National Park and Cape Breton Highlands National Park are administered by the federal government, while smaller provincial parks are located throughout the province.

Tourism is an important sector in the provincial economy. Total tourism receipts exceed C$800 million and over 30,000 are employed in the many aspects of the industry. More than a million persons visit the province each year, with almost one quarter of these coming from outside Canada.

New construction and renovations have modernized and expanded the accommodations sector in the past five years. In 1992 there were 682 establishments providing 13,025 rooms, an increase of 1,074 rooms since 1988.

Festivals, exhibitions, and various other celebrations throughout the province attract both residents and tourists. A few of the most notable events include: the Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival, the Antigonish Highland Games, the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition, the Joseph Howe Festival, the Nova Scotia Fisheries Exhibition and Fishermen's Reunion, and the Buskers Festival. Halifax is also host to the Nova Scotia International Tattoo (a military drill held outdoors to music) in late June.

ETHNIC GROUPS

Over 80 percent of Nova Scotia's population trace their ancestry either wholly or partly to the British Isles. Those with French origin rank second: 18 percent of residents have some French ancestry. The next largest groups by ancestry are German and Dutch. Residents of Nova Scotia are also of Polish, Italian, Jewish, and Lebanese descent. Over 18,000 residents of the province have African origins. Almost 12,000 residents have Amerindian origins, and primarily belong to the Micmac Nation.

LANGUAGES

In 1996, English was the first language of 92.9 percent of Nova Scotians, with French the mother tongue of 3.9 percent of the province's residents. While 9.3 percent of residents speak both English and French, 90.4 percent of the population speak only English and 0.2 percent speak only French.

RELIGIONS

Over half of the population, or about 486,900 people, is Protestant, including 154,800 members of the United Church of Canada, 129,600 Anglicans, 99,900 Baptists, 31,500 Presbyterians, 11,700 Lutherans, and 10,800 Pentecostals. Nova Scotia also has about 334,800 Roman Catholics (37.2 percent of the population), about 2,700 people of Eastern Orthodox faith, and less than 1,800 people each of the following: Buddhists, Jews, and Hindus. More than 68,000 provincial residents profess no religious affiliation.

TRANSPORTATION

Nova Scotia has a network of 438 miles (705 kilometers) of railroad track serving major communities in the province. Both the Dominion Atlantic Railway, a subsidiary of Canadian Pacific, and Canadian National operate in the province. Unit trains are used for rapid delivery of containers between the Port of Halifax and central Canada and the United States. Passenger rail service is provided by Via Rail from Halifax to Amherst and points west.

Nova Scotia has a network of 16,200 miles (26,000 kilometers) of highways, of which 8,400 miles (13,600 kilometers) are paved. During the 1980s a series of all-weather, controlled-access highways was constructed. Total motor vehicle registrations in 1996 was 550,299. Urban transit consists of over 200 buses. In 1996, trucks transported 5.6 million tons of freight through the province.

With a strategic location on the major North Atlantic shipping route, Nova Scotia's 129 commercial ports are able to serve the eastern Canadian and north-central US markets for shipments of goods to world markets. The port of Halifax is in the forefront of this activity, handling approximately 13.6 million tons of water-borne cargo in 1996. Other harbor facilities at Halifax include 35 deepwater berths and, located in Woodside, the largest automobile distribution center in Canada. The port at the Strait of Canso can accommodate the world's largest supertankers. Sydney Harbour also has a full range of facilities and can handle vessels up to 44,080 tons (40,000 metric tons).

National and regional air service is provided at Yarmouth, Sydney, and Halifax International Airport. Air Canada, Canadian International Airlines, KLM, Air Nova, Air Atlantic, and Northwest Airlink provide regular scheduled service to all Canadian points and international service to Boston, New York, Bermuda, London, Glasgow, and Amsterdam. Several local airports have been developed throughout the province for the use of charter services, local commuting, and flying clubs. In 1996 the Halifax International Airport was the eighth busiest in Canada, handling 2.5 million passengers. The province's other main airport is at Sydney.

FAMOUS NOVA SCOTIANS

Nova Scotia was the birthplace of three Canadian prime ministers: Sir John Thompson (1845-94), Sir Charles Tupper (1821-1915), and Sir Robert Borden (1854-1937).

Famous Nova Scotian entertainers include actress Joanna Shimkus (b.1943) and singers Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow (b.1914), Anne Murray (b.1945), and Carole Baker (b.1949).

Noted novelists born in Nova Scotia include Hugh MacLennan (1907-90), Alden Nowlen (1933-83), and Joan Clark (b.1934).

EDUCATION

Elementary and secondary schools offer free instruction from primary through grade 12. School attendance is compulsory from 6 to 16 years of age. During the 1996/97 academic year 163,941 students were enrolled in elementary, junior high, and senior high schools. That year, there were 17.5 students per teacher.

Eleven regional vocational schools, the Institute of Technology, the Adult Vocational Training Campuses in Dartmouth and Sydney, the Nautical Institute in Port Hawkesbury, and the College of Geographic Sciences in Lawrencetown have been integrated into the province's Community College System. Three other vocational schools are associate members of the Community College System. Full-time enrollment in career programs in postsecondary community colleges in 1996/97 was 6,956.

Halifax is the center for several universities, including Dalhousie, Saint Mary's, Mount Saint Vincent, King's College, and the Technical University of Nova Scotia. The Technical University provides bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering and architecture and a doctorate degree in engineering. Other facilities in the Halifax metro area include the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, the Atlantic School of Theology, and the Maritime School of Social Work. Other areas of the province are served by Université Ste. Anne at Church Point, Acadia University in Wolfville, St. Francis Xavier in Antigonish, and the University College of Cape Breton in Sydney. Other specialized facilities throughout the province include the Cox Institute of Agricultural Technology, the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, and the Nova Scotia Teachers College, all in Truro, and the Coast Guard College at Point Edward. In 1997/98, full-time university enrollment was 30,077, while part-time enrollment was 7,006.

HEALTH

The annual number of births in the province was 10,290 in 1998, for a rate of about 11 per 1,000 residents, while deaths totaled 7,915 in 1998, for a rate of 8.5 per 1,000 residents. The decline in birth rates, which began in the early 1960s, has resulted in a shift in the age distribution of the population. Extended life expectancy has also contributed to an increasingly older population. Between 1976 and 1996 the proportion of the total population under 15 years of age declined from 26.8 percent to 19.8 percent, while the number of people over 65 years of age increased from 9.7 percent to 13.1 percent of the total. Reported cases of selected diseases in 1996 included campylobacteriosis, 234; giardiasis, 149; salmonellosis, 147; gonococcal infections, 97; and hepatitis B, 47. There were 15 new AIDS cases reported in 1996. Between 1985 and 1998, 514 residents (includes Prince Edward Island) became infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Hospitals and maternity wards are provided to communities throughout the province, with regional hospitals providing some of the more specialized requirements. Nova Scotia has over 50 hospitals and health centers. The Victoria General Hospital in Halifax is the overall referral hospital for the province and in many instances for the Atlantic Region. The Izaak Walton Killam Hospital provides similar regional specialization for children. Psychiatric facilities are available in Dartmouth and Sydney. There are 4.8 hospital beds per 1,000 population.

HOUSING

The 1996 Census enumerated 344,779 occupied dwellings in Nova Scotia, and 342,595 private households. The average household size was 2.6 persons. Some 68 percent of all households reside in single family detached housing.

POPULATION

As of 1998, almost all of the estimated 936,100 residents lived in close proximity to the coast. The largest concentrations of population in 1996 were in the Halifax metropolitan area with a population of 332,518 (13th largest in Canada) and the Sydney urban area with 116,000. The Halifax metro area is the largest population area in Canada east of Québec City; Halifax functions as a regional headquarters for many government and private institutions. Major towns in Nova Scotia include Yarmouth, Kentville, Bridgewater, Truro, Amherst, and New Glasgow.

Residential growth is about evenly split between urban and rural areas, but the farm population is diminishing. Between 1986 and 1991 the rural portion of the population in Nova Scotia increased slightly from 46 percent to 46.5 percent, but the rural farm population declined by more than 2,000 people to 11,805.

ARTS

The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax is center stage for Symphony Nova Scotia and other musical and theatrical performances. The Neptune Theatre provides professional repertory theater in Halifax. Art galleries are found throughout the province, and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia has renovated a historic building for its new headquarters. The site is close to the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in downtown Halifax.

COMMUNICATIONS

The number of telephone access lines in use in Nova Scotia number over 510,000. All local telephone service is provided by Maritime Telegraph and Telephone, which is a private company, while long distance service is now being offered by both Maritime and other companies. As of 1998, Nova Scotia had 17 AM and 17 FM radio stations, and 18 television stations.

PRESS

Halifax has two daily newspapers: The Chronicle-Herald and The Mail-Star. Other daily papers are published in Sydney, Amherst, Dartmouth, New Glasgow, and Truro.

SPORTS

Sailing, wind surfing, and canoeing are all enjoyed extensively throughout the province. In winter the lakes become a skater's paradise, and the hills and mountains of areas such as Martock, Cape Smokey, and Wentworth attract downhill skiers. Virtually all towns and many smaller communities have arenas, bowling alleys, gymnasiums, tennis courts, ball diamonds, playing fields, and curling rinks (curling is a game imported from Scotland in which large rounded stones with attached handles are slid down an ice-covered playing area toward a circular target). Golf courses abound and are available within short distances of all communities.

Spectator sports are available in the major towns, with the Halifax Metro Centre Stadium attracting professional sporting and other touring entertainment events.

AGRICULTURE

There were 4,453 farms in Nova Scotia in 1996. Total farm area was 1.06 million acres (427,339 hectares), with 277,658 acres (112,368 hectares) of land area under crops. Farm cash receipts in 1996 totaled $384.3 million.

Nova Scotia has a highly specialized commercial agriculture sector dominated by horticultural crops. Export items include blueberries, apples and processed fruits, vegetables, and juices. A wide variety of vegetables are produced, with potatoes the most important one. Hay production in 1996 totaled 176,097 tons; blueberries, 16,398 tons; barley, 12,433 tons; grain and corn for silage, 11,8837 tons; and oats, 7,254 tons. Apples, pears, strawberries, blueberries, and tobacco are also commercially grown.

Greenhouse operations cover over 8 million cubic feet (229,000 cubic meters), and primarily produce vegetables, flowers, and ornamental shrubs. Production of maple syrup has an annual value of approximately C$1 million.

DOMESTICATED ANIMALS

More than 2,300 farms raise cattle in Nova Scotia, but they provide only a quarter of the beef consumed in the province. In 1996 there were 129,000 cattle on provincial farms, 130,700 hogs, and 23,500 sheep. In 1992, dairy product receipts were valued at C$84.2 million, followed by poultry and eggs at C$63.8 million, cattle at C$32.8 million, and hogs at C$23.5 million.

In 1991 Nova Scotia produced 19.5 million dozens of eggs, 3,973 tons (3,605 metric tons) of turkey meat, and 22,732 tons (20,628 metric tons) of fowl and chicken meat. Fur production in 1991 was valued at C$9.7 million. The most significant items were ranch mink and fox and wild muskrat, mink, and beaver.

ENERGY AND POWER

Canada's first coal mine began operating in 1720 on the north side of Cow Bay at Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The mining sector is dominated by coal--production of 2,550 tons in 1997 was valued at C$152.2 million (accounting for 31.2 percent of the total value of all minerals). More than 60 percent of this coal is used to generate electricity within the province. The largest coal reserves are near Sydney. Substantial reserves of fuel-grade peat also exist in several southwestern counties.

Development of the Cohasset Panuke oilfield, to the southwest of Sable Island, began in 1990, with production starting in 1992. In 1997, Nova Scotia produced 23.4 million cubic feet (663,000 cubic meters) of crude oil, valued at C$120.3 million. Substantial gas reserves have been discovered off the coast of Nova Scotia. The Venture Project, in the vicinity of Sable Island, is expected to be developed if world prices rise to a sufficient level. The project is expected to cost C$3 billion.

Total net energy generated in Nova Scotia in 1995 approximated 9.6 billion kilowatt hours; thermal generation accounted for about 90 percent of this total. In 1981, coal represented 49 percent and oil 51 percent of all thermal power generation. During the 1980s, Nova Scotia Power Inc. adopted an operating plan based on conversion to coal generation from imported oil. By 1992 the dependence on oil-fired generation was cut to less than 25 percent.

The concept of using tides to generate electricity was first proposed in the late 1800s. With the opening of the Annapolis Tidal Generating Station at the mouth of the Annapolis River in 1984, this goal became a reality. It was built as a small-scale tidal project to test and evaluate the potential of the Straflo turbine for possible future use within a massive tidal project on the Minas Basin.

FISHING

Fishing resources, particularly cod, have been hit by dwindling stocks in recent years. As a result, quotas are affecting those who make their living from fishing. Products of the sea include shellfish, such as lobster, deep-sea crab, and scallops; groundfish, such as cod, haddock, and halibut; and estuarial species, such as herring and mackerel. Nova Scotia leads the provinces in total volume and value of commercial landings. The total landed value for all sea fish in 1996 was estimated at C$459.4 million, while the catch totaled 306,714 tons (278,325 metric tons). Lobster accounted for about 6.5 percent of the total volume but 44 percent of the total value that year. Fish farm production in 1997 was valued at C$11.1 million, primarily salmon and steelhead.

In 1998, Nova Scotia had 61,310 residents licensed for sport fishing within the province's waters.

FORESTRY

With 73.5 percent of the provincial land area covered by forest, forestry is of paramount importance to Nova Scotia. Total productive forest land in Nova Scotia exceeds 9.9 million acres (4 million hectares). Only 28 percent of this area is provincial Crown land, and a further 3 percent is under federal ownership; 69 percent of forest land is in the hands of a large number of private owners.

Predominant species include such softwoods as spruce, fir, and white pine, and such hardwoods as red maple, sugar maple, and yellow birch. In 1996, the total timber harvest was 197.7 million cubic feet (5.6 million cubic meters). Forest products take the form of pulp, newsprint paper, paperboard, hardboard, lumber, pulpwood, and Christmas trees. In 1997, forestry directly employed 12,000 persons, with 6,000 others in the forestry processing sector.

As of 1996, Nova Scotia's 808 Christmas tree farms covered 28,617 acres (11,581 hectares).

MINING

In 1997, mining and related activities employed about 3,100 persons. The earliest gypsum mining operations in Nova Scotia recorded by settlers date back to 1779. In 1997, Nova Scotia produced more than 80 percent of Canada's gypsum from quarries located in Cape Breton and central Nova Scotia. The principal markets for gypsum are the New England and south Atlantic states of the United States where it is primarily used in the production of wallboard, with other markets in central Canada and many foreign countries. The province also has major deposits of salt, limestone, and anhydrite. The estimated value of mineral production for 1997 was C$487.7 million for the province. Other types of mining activity involve barite, crushed stone, horticultural peat, and sand and gravel.

COMMERCE

In 1996, total trade in Nova Scotia amounted to more than C$19.6 billion, or C$20,736 per capita (per person). That year, 54 percent of trade was with other provinces and 46 percent was international. Nova Scotia's trade balance in 1996 had a deficit of C$3.75 billion.

Nova Scotia's foreign exports totaled C$3.8 billion in 1996. More than half of these exports consisted of products of the forest and the sea. Exports of food products are largely in the form of fish, bakery, and dairy products, fruits and fruit preparations, fish meal, and feed. Fabricated materials--primarily paper and paperboard, wood pulp, industrial oils and chemicals, metals and metal-fabricated basic products, and wood-fabricated materials--were the next most significant group of goods exported.

ECONOMY

Nova Scotia's economy is highly diversified. It has expanded from resource-based employment in agriculture, forestry, fishing, and mining to include many types of manufactured goods as well as business and personal services. In 1997, Nova Scotia's gross domestic product (GDP) totaled C$20.3 billion, contributing 2.4 percent to the national GDP.

PUBLIC FINANCE

The fiscal year runs from 1 April to 31 March. For fiscal year 1997/98, total revenues were C$5.33 billion; expenditures totaled C$5.3 billion. The largest expenditure areas were health, education, interest on debt, transportation and communication, social services, and resource development. In the 1997/98 fiscal year, provincial debt amounted to 44 percent of the gross domestic product.

INCOME

Per capita (per person) disposable income for all Nova Scotians was estimated at C$14,821 for 1996. The average weekly wage earned in the province in 1997 was C$501.47, but there were considerable variations in this average from one sector to another. The highest average weekly wages are in the mining sector, followed by public administration, utilities, and goods-producing industries.

INDUSTRY

The leading manufacturing industries in Nova Scotia are food and beverages (including the important fish processing sector); textiles; pulp, paper, and wood products; machinery; metal fabricating; primary metals; and transportation equipment. The value of manufactured shipments for Nova Scotia in 1997 was C$6.23 billion.

LABOR

In 1996, the total labor force was about 439,000 persons, of whom 380,800 were employed. Within the service sector, the community, business, and personal services group is the largest employer with 32 percent of total provincial employment.

Unemployment in Nova Scotia fell to 12.2 percent in 1997 after having risen to 13.3 percent in 1996 from 12.7 percent in 1991. While the provincial unemployment rate is lower than the average for the Atlantic Provinces, it is traditionally 2-3 percent higher than the national average. Nova Scotia has the lowest unionization rate of the four maritime provinces, at 30.4 percent.

TAXATION

Taxation rates for provincial residents include a retail sales tax of 8 percent to cover most physician and hospital costs. Major consumption taxes are levied on gasoline and tobacco. The personal income tax rate for Nova Scotia residents is 57.5 percent of the federal basic tax, while the corporation tax is 16 percent of taxable income and 5 percent for small businesses. In 1997, a typical two-income family of four in Nova Scotia earning C$55,000 paid C$14,857 (27 percent) in provincial and federal taxes.

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