Canada

Overview

The history and culture of Nova Scotia are very much connected to the sea. You can hike along miles of natural shoreline, go ocean kayaking or whale watching.

The city of Halifax awaits you. Visit the historic Citadel, or take a trip to the famous Peggy's Cove. Nearby is Lunenburg where the architecture has made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the northeast corner of the province is the Cabot Trail which leads you through Acadian villages to the Cape Breton Highlands.

Another trail is the Evangeline Trail which takes you from Yarmouth on the southwest tip of the province, along the coast of the Bay of Fundy, through the sunny Annapolis Valley to the suburbs of Halifax. Nova Scotia's greatest asset though, is her friendly people who will proudly welcome you to their magnificent province.

Nova Scotia also boasts pristine inland wilderness with hundreds of lakes and many beautiful rivers. The province is home to a UNESCO World Biosphere Preserve that includes both Kejimikujik National Park and the Tobeatic Wilderness to form the largest protected area in all of Atlantic Canada.

History

Though Canada's history has been relatively short, (the Dominion of Canada was only actually founded in 1867) it has certainly been eventful. Canadians are fascinated by their past and this is reflected in the many historical sites throughout the country. In Central and Eastern Canada, the history entails the early struggles of the first European settlers, and of how the two major cultural groups of the time (British and French) interacted to build a great nation together. In today's highly charged political arena, with on-going talk of Québec independence, this earlier relationship is too often forgotten. The history of Central and Eastern Canada is also very much tied in with the American Revolution, when thousands of people loyal to the British crown crossed the border and settled in these areas in order to remain under British rule. The struggle with the United States continued until after the war of 1812, when an attempted invasion of Canada by the Americans was repulsed.

Canada adopted the Statute of Westminster in December 1931, giving it full legislative autonomy within the British Empire. The country emerged as an independent nation within the Commonwealth after the Second World War, and the last legislative link with the U.K. was ended with the patriation of the Canadian constitution in 1982. Queen Elizabeth II remains Canada's head of state, represented by the Governor General.

In Canada, the history of the land has been influenced by people adapting to the forces of nature in a particular region. In Atlantic Canada, the...more