Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is an island province of Canada. It is the smallest province by both land area and population, but has the highest population density in Canada. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", "Birthplace of Confederation" and "Cradle of Confederation". Its capital and largest city is Charlottetown. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces.
Historically, the island has formed an integral part of the Mi'kmaw homeland, Mi'kma'ki, comprising one part of the district Epekwitk aq Piktuk (also spelled Epegwitg aq Pigtug, lit. 'PEI and Pictou'). In 1604, Epekwitk was colonized by the French as part of the colony of Acadia, where it became known as Isle St-Jean (St. John's Island). It was later ceded to the British at the conclusion of the Seven Years' War in 1763 and became part of the colony of Nova Scotia. In 1769, St. John's Island became its own British colony and its name was changed to Prince Edward Island (PEI) in 1798. PEI hosted the Charlottetown Conference in 1864 to discuss a union of the Maritime provinces; however, the conference became the first in a series of meetings which led to Canadian Confederation on July 1, 1867. Prince Edward Island initially balked at Confederation but, facing bankruptcy from the Land Question and construction of a railroad, joined as Canada's seventh province on July 1, 1873.
According to Statistics Canada, the province of Prince Edward Island had 182,508 residents in 2025. Farming is central to the island's economy; it produces 25% of Canada's potatoes. Other important industries include fisheries, tourism, aerospace, biotechnology, information technology and renewable energy. As Prince Edward Island is one of Canada's older settled areas, its population still reflects the origins of its earliest settlers, with Acadian, Scottish, Irish, and English surnames being dominant.
Prince Edward Island is located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, about ten kilometres (6.2 mi) across the Northumberland Strait from both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It is about 200 kilometres (120 mi) north of Halifax and 600 kilometres (370 mi) east of Quebec City. It has a land area of 5,686.03 square kilometres (2,195.39 sq mi), and is the 104th-largest island in the world and Canada's 23rd-largest island. It is the only Canadian province consisting entirely of islands.
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