Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island (official name in English: Prince Edward Island; in French: Île-du-Prince-Édouard), commonly abbreviated PEI, it is one of the ten provinces that, together with the three territories, make up the thirteen federal entities of Canada. Its capital and most populous city is Charlottetown. Located in the east of the country, it is an island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and separated from New Brunswick by the Northumberland Strait. With 159,625 hab. in 2016 it is the fourth least populated entity —ahead of the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut, the least populated—, with 5,660 km², the least extensive, and with 25.1 inhab/km², the most densely populated.
Its capital, Charlottetown, is known as the cradle of the Canadian Confederation, although the province did not join the Confederation until later. In 1997 it was connected to the American continent by the Confederation Bridge.
History
The island was first inhabited about 10,000 years ago. These pioneers would have arrived via an isthmus today covered by the Northumberland Strait. It seems that the island was constantly inhabited and that hunting and fishing gave rise to seasonal migrations. Native Americans micmac, who called it Abegweit, came to the island about 2000 years ago.
In 1534, Jacques Cartier was the first European explorer to announce the existence of the island, describing it as "the most beautiful land that one can imagine". Thereafter, French and Basque fishermen frequented the island for almost 200 years ago, but they did not settle there permanently. No traces of his presence remain.
Nicolas Denys obtains the concession of the island, called Saint-Jean Island at the time, around 1653, but he only deals with fishing and leaves no establishment behind him on the island. France did not colonize it until after the Treaties of Utrecht (1713). In 1719, a new concession of the island and that of Miscou was made to a count named Saint-Pierre, who sent a group of colonists the following year. A census in 1735 gives a total of 81 families settled on the island. The colony depended on Île Royale (Cap-Breton).
Later, it became part of Acadia, a French colony. As such, the island was called Île Saint-Jean (Isla San Juan). Approximately one thousand Acadians were deported in 1758, when the British conquered it, during the Franco-Indian War.
The new neighborhood of St. John's Islands remained virtually deserted after the end of hostilities, except for the presence of an English fort. In order to attract people to the region at the lowest possible cost, Captain Samuel Holland of England's royal treasury proposed to the Department of Trade and Agriculture that a scientific expedition be conducted in the region., in order to encourage settlement and fishing activity, both on the island and in the rest of the British colonies in North America, and especially in the territories recently conquered from France (Acadia and New France).
Exploration took place between 1764 and 1766, and during this time three counties were founded, each of approximately 2,000 km². Each county was subdivided into five parties, of 400 km² each. Each county had its head, while the rest of the territory was divided into 67 different lots, each with approximately 80 km². Subsequently, they were auctioned off among the British nobility.
The new owners of the lots should in turn recruit new contractors, as well as finance the transfer of these from England (or any colony in it) to the island. In turn, these would have the obligation to work in forestry work in the region and, likewise, pay an annual fee to their lords.
In 1798, Great Britain changed the name of the colony from San Juan Island to Prince Edward Island, to distinguish it from other British possessions in Atlantic Canada, such as the cities of Saint John, New Brunswick, and St. John's (Terra Nova). The new name of the colony honored Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of King George III of the United Kingdom. Edward was then commanding the British troops in Halifax.
During the 1840s, the people of Prince Edward Island began to demand greater political autonomy. The United Kingdom caved to pressure in 1851, giving the island full control over the government in internal affairs.
In September 1864, Prince Edward Island hosted the Charlottetown Conference, the first in a series of meetings that led to the creation of the Canadian Articles of Confederation, in 1864 - signed by Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. However, Prince Edward Island, along with Newfoundland and Labrador, did not agree to the Confederation's terms and refused to enter it. In the late 1860s, still as a British colony, Prince Edward Island politicians were considering several possibilities: becoming independent, joining Canada or the United States, or remaining an English colony. Finally, the Island would decide to join Canada in 1873.
In the early 1870s, Prince Edward Island broke ground on a railroad, but quickly fell into debt. Not wanting to take responsibility for the payment of the debt contracted, England pressured its colony to again enter into negotiations with the Canadian Confederation. In 1873, the then Prime Minister of Canada, John Alexander Macdonald, trying to stop the danger posed by American expansionism at any price, proposed the following terms as a solution to the problem: Canada would pay the debts incurred by Prince Edward Island, buy all the remaining lots on it and would also provide adequate transportation between the island and the mainland; but this, in return, would have to join the Confederacy. Thus, the Colony accepted the terms and became part of the Canadian Confederation on July 1, 1873.
During its first decades as a Canadian province, the island's population grew gradually. However, it became clear that the province's industrial and commercial establishments were not in a position to compete with the cheaper products produced in the other provinces of Canada (mainly Ontario and Quebec). Agriculture and fishing were the main sources of income for the province, but even these two sectors could not compete with the fishing industry of New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, or against the agricultural industry of the Canadian interior.
The province became increasingly dependent on financial aid from the Canadian government, and its population began to gradually decline in numbers beginning in the 1890s. During the 1920s and 1930s, the province had to spend more in education, public health and social and financial assistance, which, despite having halted the island's population decline, increased its financial problems. The Great Depression of the 1930s only aggravated the financial situation of the province as a whole, which had hitherto been only precarious, during the first decades of the century XX - with the exception of a brief period, during the years of World War I.
Prince Edward Island received increased financial aid from the Canadian government beginning in the early 1940s. This, coupled with World War II, led to various public services, such as transportation and education, being drastically improved; as well as that there was a recovery of the agricultural industry. With this, Prince Edward Island recorded its first period of population growth since the 1891 national census. Since the early 1940s, the province's population has only grown, albeit very slowly, while it was barely, during the early 1970s, that the population of Prince Edward Island exceeded that of the province in 1891.
The government of Prince Edward Island, in coordination with the Canadian government, invested even more in education and transportation. By then, tourism had already become one of the main sources of income. In addition, in 1969, the province tried to revitalize its economy through various acts, which failed in their objective; so the government of Prince Edward Island returned, during the 1980s, to give more attention to its main economic sectors: agriculture, fishing and a strong growing tourism. In 1997, the Confederation Bridge was inaugurated, offering the province a direct connection with the rest of the continent and thus encouraging tourism. This helped place tourism in the second position as a source of income for the province, behind only agriculture.
Geography
The island is known as the Garden of the Gulf, as the island lies in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, west of Cape Breton Island, north of the Nova Scotia peninsula, and east of New Brunswick. The southern shores form the Northumberland Strait. The island has two urban areas. The largest centers on the port of Charlottetown, located in the middle of the southern coast; it consists of the capital, Charlottetown, various residential communities such as Cornwall and Stratford, and a widening swath of housing estates and urban development. Another urban area centers on the port of Summerside, located on the southern coast 40 km (25 mi) west of the port of Charlottetown; consists primarily of the town of Summerside. These harbours, like all natural harbors on the island, are created by estuaries.
Climate
Prince Edward Island, due to its location (surrounded by large bodies of water) has a more stable and mild climate than the rest of the country, registering the highest temperatures in Canada during winter and the lowest during summer. summer. Therefore, the weather that the province has is also very stable, with climatic conditions that vary little during a given day.
On the other hand, its small size means that the climate is largely homogeneous throughout the province. The western region of the island has slightly lower temperatures during the winter and higher temperatures in the summer, in relation to the eastern region, due to its greater proximity to the main body of the continent.
During the winter, Prince Edward Island has an average temperature of -7°C. The average of the minimums is -12 °C and the average of the maximums is -3 °C. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the province is -37 °C, which occurred in Alberton on January 26, 1884. During the summer, it has an average temperature of 19 °C. The average of the minimums is 13 °C and the average of the maximums is 22 °C. And, in turn, the highest temperature ever recorded in the province is 37 °C, which occurred in Charlottetown on August 19, 1935. Its average annual precipitation rate of rain is 111 centimeters, while the of snow is 276 centimeters.
Politics and government
Historically, the Liberal Party of Canada has dominated the politics of Prince Edward Island. More than half of the governors of the province have been Liberals and, consequently, more than half of the provincial governments have been dominated by an Assembly composed of a Liberal majority. The Liberals currently hold the province's four seats in the House of Commons.
When it entered Confederation, the province had six seats in the House of Commons and four in the Senate. However, as time passed, the population of the province did not grow proportionally in relation to the growth of the rest of the country - especially that of western Canada -, for which reason the number of representatives in the Chamber decreased. from Commons to four.
The vast majority of towns in the province are administered by a mayor and a municipal council. About 60% of the income received by the provincial government is from taxes. The rest comes from income received from the federal government and from borrowing.
Executive Branch
The lieutenant-governor represents King Charles III as head of Prince Edward Island. The head of the government in practice, and also the chief executive officer of the province, is the premier, or prime minister. The premier is the one who heads the political party with the most seats in the Legislative Assembly; he presides over an Executive Council, which is the cabinet of the province. There are about 25 different ministers in the cabinet, such as the Minister of Education, the Minister of Economy, the Minister of Labour, etc. Ministers resign their positions if the cabinet loses the support of a majority of members of parliament.
Legislative Branch
The Legislative Branch of Prince Edward Island is the Legislative Assembly, which is made up of 27 members. Each of them is elected by the population of one of the province's 27 constituencies, for terms of up to four years. If the Lieutenant-Governor dissolves the Assembly before these five years, at the request of the Governor, new elections will be called. There is no limit to the terms that a person can exercise.
Judicial Branch
The highest court is the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island, made up of nine justices. These judges are appointed by the prime minister of the province and symbolically approved by the lieutenant-governor. Once chosen, the judges of the court can exercise their offices until they are 75 years of age.
Demographics
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According to the 2006 Canadian national census, the population of Prince Edward Island was 138,519, a 2.4% growth over the province's population from 2001, which was estimated at 135,294.
Races and Ethnicities
Among Canada's ten provinces, Prince Edward Island is the most densely populated province. There are however 32 Canadian cities with more inhabitants than Prince Edward Island. According to the 2001 Canadian census, the largest ethnic group in the province is Scottish (38.0%), followed by English (28.7%), Irish (27.9%), French (21.3%)), Germans (4.0%), and Dutch (3.1%). Nearly half of the respondents identified simply as "Canadian."
Racial composition of the population of Prince Edward Island:
- 98.2% White
- 1% Micmacs
- 0.2% Afro-Canadian
- 0.1% Chinese
- 0.5% Other
Administrative division
The province is divided into 3 counties:
- Kings County
- Prince County
- Queens County
Main cities
Prince Edward Island has only two primary cities (cities): Charlottetown and Summerside. The province also has seven other secondary cities (towns): Stratford, Cornwall, Montague, Kensington, Souris, Alberton and Georgetown.
10 largest municipalities in the province
| Municipality | 2001 | 1996 |
|---|---|---|
| Charlottetown | 32 245 | 32 531 |
| Summerside | 14 654 | 15 525 |
| Stratford | 6 314 | 5 869 |
| Cornwall | 4 412 | 4 291 |
| Lot 34 | 2 344 | 2 180 |
| Montague | 1 945 | 1 995 |
| Lot 1 | 1 900 | 1 936 |
| Lot 65 | 1 829 | 1 595 |
| Lot 19 | 1 775 | 1 759 |
| Lot 2 | 1 720 | 1 766 |
Economy
The economy of Prince Edward Island is based primarily on agriculture, tourism, and fishing. All of these activities have large variations throughout the year and are susceptible to external shocks such as natural disasters and economic downturns. This province is extremely poor in natural resources, such as minerals, however, there are still undetermined amounts of natural gas in its eastern part.
Agriculture is the main source of income for the province's economy since it was colonized by the English - currently, the potato is the most cultivated vegetable in the province. Prince Edward Island is the largest potato producer in Canada - it is responsible for a third of Canada's annual production. About 1.3 billion kilos of potatoes are produced annually in the province, which is also a major producer of potato seeds, which are exported to more than 20 countries around the world.
Tourism is Prince Edward Island's second largest source of income, having surpassed fishing in importance by mid-century XX. The main tourist attractions are its beaches, golf courses and local attractions and events. The most dynamic season is summer - the months of July and August - despite a growth in the number of North American tourists in September and October in the province (as well as in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the tourist season is extending until the months of winter.
Fishing is still Prince Edward Island's third largest source of income; however, the province is less dependent on the fishing industry than are other Canadian provinces located on the Atlantic coast (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador). Lobster catching is the largest fishing activity on the island, which takes place in May and September. Due to the fact that the province is covered in ocean ice during the winter months, fishing is limited to the summer months, late spring and early fall.
The province's Gross Domestic Product is more than C$2.8 trillion per year. The primary sector contributes 5% of the GDP of Prince Edward Island. Agriculture and livestock together represent 5% of the province's GDP, and employ approximately 4.6 thousand people. Prince Edward Island has about 2,000 farmlands, covering about half of the province. Hardly Saskatchewan has a greater percentage of its land area covered by farmland. Fishing represents 4% of the province's GDP and employs approximately 2,000 people. Forestry accounts for 1% of the province's GDP, employing about 700 people.
The secondary sector accounts for 16% of GDP in Prince Edward Island. The total value of products manufactured in the province is C$275 million. The main industrial products manufactured in the province are mainly industrialized foods, partly associated with the fishing industry of the province. The manufacturing industry represents 10% of the GDP of Prince Edward Island and employs approximately 6.5 thousand people. The construction industry represents 5% of the province's GDP and employs about 3.8 thousand people. The economic contribution of mining exploitation in the province is negligible. The only natural resource present in the province of important use for man are the small reserves of natural gas.
The tertiary sector accounts for 76% of GDP in Prince Edward Island. Personal and community services represent 25% of the province's GDP and employ nearly 24.1 thousand people. Financial and real estate services employ approximately 2.2 thousand people and represent more than 20% of the GDP of Prince Edward Island. Government services represent 13% of the province's GDP, employing approximately 5.6 thousand people. Wholesale and retail trade represents 11% of the province's GDP and employs approximately 9.9 thousand people. Transportation and telecommunications represent 7% of the GDP and employ about 5 thousand people, and public utilities represent 1% of the province's GDP, employing about 100 people. The province generates barely 40% of the electricity it consumes, 5% in coal-fired thermoelectric plants, and 35% in wind plants. The other 60% needs to be purchased from New Brunswick.
Education
In 1999, about 24,200 students were registered in the island's public schools, and about 1,400 teachers. On the other hand, private schools served about 250 students, employing approximately 10 teachers. The province's public school system consumed about C$143 million, and public school spending per student is approximately C$5.8 thousand.
Prince Edward Island has 20 public libraries run by the province. There is a single university, the University of Prince Edward Island, in Charlottetown. There is also a community college system, Holland College, with specialized colleges in several cities.
The first schools on Prince Edward Island were built in the early 19th century century. In 1852, the colonial government of the province created a system of public schools and instituted a tax to pay for such a system. In 1877, the province instituted the Central Board of Education and, in 1945, the Prince Edward Island Department of Education.
Currently, the Prince Edward Island Department of Education sets the rules and standards that all educational institutions in the province must follow. All schools are directly administered by the Department of Education. School attention is the responsibility of all children and adolescents over six years of age, until graduation from second grade or up to twenty years of age.
Prince Edward Island's first public library was founded in 1933. Today, the province's 20 public libraries are managed by the province's Department of Education. Prince Edward Island has one university, the University of Prince Edward Island, and one college, both administered by the province's Department of Education.
Transport and telecommunications
In 1997, the Confederation Bridge was inaugurated, connecting Prince Edward Island with New Brunswick, thus replacing the ferry service between the two provinces.
Until recently, the transport of passengers and, mainly, cargo, in and out of the province, was relatively expensive and took 45 minutes, via ferry, and this is not counting the opening hours (service restricted at night, for example) or the waiting time between the departure of one ferry and the arrival of another. These vessels connected Prince Edward Island with Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Magdalen Islands.
In 1997, the Confederation Bridge was inaugurated, connecting Prince Edward Island with New Brunswick, thus replacing the ferry service between the two provinces, which was discontinued; while those with Nova Scotia and the Magdalen Islands continue to this day. Currently, the province has 4.9 thousand kilometers of public roads. A curiosity is the fact that, until May 1, 1924, vehicles traveled to the left of any public road, unlike the rest of Canada, where they did so to the right.
When the Prince Edward Island Railroad opened in 1873, it was a narrow gauge railroad. It was converted to standard gauge in 1930. Previously, in 1915, this railway had come under the control of Canadian Government Railways, a federal public body, which became Canadian National Railways (FNC) in 1918. In 1989, FNC decided to open up its lines in the province. Currently, Prince Edward Island is the only Canadian province without freight or passenger rail service. The old railway that it had is currently a tourist railway.
The first newspaper published in Prince Edward Island was the Journal-Pionner, published in 1867, in Summerside. In 1887, the first edition of The Guardian was published in Charlottetown. These are published to this day, being the only two newspapers with daily circulation in the province. The province's first radio station was founded in 1924, in Charlottetown. Currently, the province has 8 radio stations. No television station has yet been founded on Prince Edward Island, relying solely on radio stations located in the neighboring provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
Pop Culture
The novel Anne of Green Gables (1908) by Lucy Maud Montgomery is set on this island.