Nova Scotia is a province on Canada’s east coast comprising the Nova Scotia peninsula, Cape Breton Island and roughly 3,800 smaller coastal islands. With more than one million residents, it is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada and the nation’s second-most densely populated province despite being one of the smallest by area.
The province’s capital, Halifax, holds over 45 per cent of Nova Scotia’s population and serves as the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. The land was home to the Mi’kmaq people before European colonisation began with France’s establishment of Acadia and its capital, Port Royal, in 1605. Control shifted to Britain through the 1713 Peace of Utrecht, and Halifax was founded in 1749 as the new capital. The forced deportation of French-speaking Acadians and the arrival of Loyalists during the American Revolutionary War reshaped the region’s demographics. Nova Scotia became the first British colony to gain responsible government in 1848, then joined Confederation in 1867 as one of Canada’s founding provinces. Its long coastline, maritime history and mix of cultures continue to shape exploration and natural history in the Atlantic region.
