“Nova Scotia” is originated from Latin, meaning New Scotland.
It is one of the three Maritime Provinces of Canada, inhabiting more than
9.17 lakhs people. Halifax, the capital, and the largest city of Nova Scotia is
home to more than 45 percent of the province’s population. Majority of people
speak English here.
It is one of the first established areas in Canada, and has a
diverse history of aboriginal, Celtic, Acadian, and African cultures that dates
back hundreds of years. Nova Scotia has been inhabited by the indigenous
Mi’kmaq people for thousands of years. France’s settlement, Port-Royal, was
established in 1605. There were numerous struggles between British and French
for the control of the area, until France gave up its claims with the Treat of
Paris. In 1848, Nova Scotia became the first British colony to achieve
responsible government, and it federated in July 1867 with becoming one of the
four founding provinces of Canada.
Nova Scotia is almost completely surrounded by water and is
made up of mainland peninsula and Cape Breton islands, and 3,800 other coastal
islands. It is bordered by Atlantic Ocean to the south and east. Most of the
things in this province revolves around the seaside, be it coastal cities,
historic waterfronts, or beautiful hikes and drives.
If you are planning to visit Nova Scotia, you ought to see
the Cabot Trail, one of the famous drives in Canada, Old Town Lunenburg,
Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk, the beautiful vineyards, Bluenose II, a replica
of Bluenose ship (1921) and the Fortress of Louisbourg which will take you back
to the 18th century French town. Also, Nova Scotia has world-famous lobsters.
One should try kayaking and canoeing in the famous high tides and attend the
live and vibrant music scenes.
Nova Scotia has a diversified economy owing to
the land and water resources. About four-fifths of land is covered by forests.
Major industries in the province are- fishery, mining, forestry, and
agriculture. These traditional industries, however, are in decline. Tourism has
emerged to be a strong component of the economy. Most of the people are
employed in public and private services. Transportations, telecommunication and
small industries like food-processing, metal-production, wood, and paper etc
provide a strong base for the flourishing economy. The minimum wage per hour in
Nova Scotia is set at 12.55CAD.
