Prince Edward Island

(In Detail) (In Detail)
Motto: Parva Sub Ingenti (The small under the protection of the great)
Capital	Charlottetown
Area  - Total  - % fresh water	13th largest (10th lgst prov.) 5 660 km² --
Population  - Total (2001)  - Density	Ranked 10th 138 500 24.47/km²
Admittance into Confederation  - Date  - Order	PEI colony joined Confed. July 1, 1873 8
Time zone	UTC -4
Postal information (http://www.canadapost.ca) Postal abbreviation Postal code prefix	PE C
ISO 3166-2	CA-PE
Parliamentary representation  House seats  Senate seats	4 4
Premier	Pat Binns (PC)
Lieutenant-Governor	J. Léonce Bernard
Government of Prince Edward Island (http://www.gov.pe.ca)

Prince Edward Island (PEI; French, l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard) is a province of the Canadian Maritimes. It is Canada's smallest province in terms of both size and population.

The province comprises the island of the same name located in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, northeast of New Brunswick and north of Nova Scotia from which it is separated by the Northumberland Strait. The strait was recently spanned by Confederation Bridge.

The population is 137 800 (Prince Edward Islanders). The capital and largest city is Charlottetown. See also a list of communities in Prince Edward Island. Summerside is the second largest city and is located in Prince County, in the western part of the province. Stratford, the third largest community, is across the Hillsborough or East River from Charlottetown. Cornwall, the fourth largest community, is just west of Charlottetown, across the North River. This puts more than a third of the province's population in the area.

PEI is known for its potatoes, grown from the distinctive red soil. It is also known as the setting for Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series.

History

The island has been known in Mi'kmaq as Abegweit, and as part of New France was called Île Saint-Jean. Having taken it over in 1759, the British changed its name to Prince Edward Island in 1798 to distinguish it from other St. Johns in the Atlantic area, such as Saint John, New Brunswick and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

The province was named to honour the fourth son of King George III, Prince Edward Augustus, the Duke of Kent (1767-1820), who was then commanding British troops in Halifax. Prince Edward was also the father of Queen Victoria.

In 1864, Prince Edward Island hosted the conference that led to the Articles of Confederation and the creation of Canada in 1867. Nevertheless, it only joined Canada as a province in 1873.

PEI likes to present itself as the creator of Canadian Confederation and many buildings around the Island, like the Confederation Centre for the Arts use the term "confederation" in some way. PEI also un-officially calls itself the birthplace of confederation, though this is only partly true. Quebec City hosted the final conference that completed the Canadian confederation. With the current political climate, however, PEI will have no competition from there.

When approached to join Canada in 1867, PEI refused, making a demand that the railway debt they had built-up would need to be covered by the federal government. The federal government, at the time refused. PEI joined eventually in 1873, because the government agreed to take on the debt. One of the conditions for PEI joining the Canadian confederation was that a steam ship service be maintained by Canada to and from PEI. This clause in the agreement eventually led to the building of the Confederation Bridge.

In 1915 PEI's representation in the house of commons was about to fall from 4 to 3. PEI argued that since they had 4 Senators that they could have no less than 4 MP's. They took the government to court, and won the case, forcing the Federal government to redesign the entire Senate, and create a law that says no province can have fewer MP's then Senators.

Politics

In the most recent provincial election, Progressive Conservative Premier Pat Binns was returned to power. The province's other major party is the PEI Liberal Party

Little known PEI facts

• Until 1924, automobiles drove on the left side of the road
• The entire fur-farming industry started with fox fur on a PEI ranch
• PEI has recently become home to a unique form of coyote closely related to wolves, who evolved in neighboring Maritime provinces.
• Repeal of prohibition was vetoed in 1945 by then Lieutenant Governor B.W. LePage (http://www.gov.pe.ca/lg/gallery/28Lepage.php3)
• There are 31 Canadian cities with a greater population than PEI.
• PEI has the highest population density of any Canadian province.

See also

• Canada
• List of Canadian provinces and territories
• List of cities in Canada
• List of Prince Edward Island premiers
• List of Prince Edward Island lieutenant-governors
• List of communities in Prince Edward Island
• List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols
• List of Prince Edward Island counties
• Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island

Provinces and territories of Canada
Provinces: British Columbia | Alberta | Saskatchewan | Manitoba | Ontario | Quebec | New Brunswick | Prince Edward Island | Nova Scotia | Newfoundland and Labrador
Territories: Yukon | Northwest Territories | Nunavut