Region of Eastern Canada
Region in Canada
Atlantic Canada
Provinces de l'Atlantique (
French )
Atlantic Canada (red) within the rest of Canada
Country
Canada Composition Most populous municipality
Halifax • Total 488,000 km2 (188,000 sq mi) • Total 2,409,874 • Density 4/km2 (10/sq mi)
Atlantic Canada , also called the Atlantic provinces (
French : provinces de l'Atlantique ), is the
region of
Eastern Canada comprising the
provinces located on the
Atlantic coast , excluding
Quebec . The four provinces are
New Brunswick ,
Newfoundland and Labrador ,
Nova Scotia , and
Prince Edward Island .
[1] As of 2021, the landmass of the four Atlantic provinces was approximately 488,000 km2 (188,000 sq mi), and had a population of over 2.4 million people. The provinces combined had an approximate GDP of $121.888 billion in 2011.
[2] The term Atlantic Canada was popularized following the admission of Newfoundland as a Canadian province in 1949.
History
French map of New France and Atlantic Canada, published around 1799
Historical map showing parts of Atlantic Canada
The Atlantic Provinces are the historical territories of the
Mi'kmaq ,
Naskapi ,
Beothuk and
Nunatsiavut peoples.
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6] The people of Nunatsiavut are the Labrador inuit (Labradormiut), who are descended from the
Thule people .
[6]
Acadia , a colony of
New France , was established in areas of present day Atlantic Canada in 1604, under the leadership of
Samuel de Champlain and
Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons .
[7] The French would form alliances with many indigenous groups within Atlantic Canada, including the Mi'kmaq of Acadia, who joined the
Wabanaki Confederacy , important allies to New France.
[8]
The first
premier of Newfoundland ,
Joey Smallwood , coined the term "Atlantic Canada" when the
Dominion of Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949.
[9] He believed that it would have been presumptuous for Newfoundland to assume that it could include itself within the existing term "
Maritime provinces ," used to describe the cultural similarities shared by
New Brunswick ,
Prince Edward Island , and
Nova Scotia , which entered
Confederation during the 19th century (New Brunswick and Nova Scotia were founding members of the Dominion of Canada in 1867, and Prince Edward Island joined in 1873).
[10]
Geography
Although Quebec has a physical Atlantic coast on the
Gulf of St. Lawrence , it is generally not considered an Atlantic Province; instead, it is classified as part of
Central Canada , along with
Ontario .
[1]
Atlantic and Central Canada together are also known as
Eastern Canada . Atlantic Canada includes a section of the
Appalachian Mountains known as the Appalachian Uplands.
[11] In each Atlantic province, Upland regions have been divided into three highland areas. The mountain range results in coastal regions being
fjorded . Some areas contain
glaciofluvial deposits .
[12]
[13]
The following tables use
Statistics Canada 's
2021 census data .
Municipal geography
Municipality
Province
Metropolitan (CMA/CA) land area (km2 )
Municipal land area (km2 )
Urban (population centre ) land area (km2 )
References
Halifax
Nova Scotia
7,276.22
5,475.57
238.29
[14]
[15]
[16]
St. John's
Newfoundland and Labrador
931.56
446.02
178
[17]
[18]
[19]
Moncton
New Brunswick
2,562.47
140.67
110.73
[20]
[21]
[22]
Saint John
New Brunswick
3,505.66
315.59
70.05
[23]
[24]
[25]
Fredericton
New Brunswick
6,014.66
133.93
89.60
[26]
[27]
[28]
Cape Breton
Nova Scotia
2,457.21
2,419.70
30.91
[29]
[30]
[31]
Charlottetown
Prince Edward Island
1,112.43
44.27
57.56
[32]
[33]
[34]
Truro
Nova Scotia
2,732.53
37.52
31.52
[35]
[36]
[37]
New Glasgow
Nova Scotia
2,066.47
9.96
29.82
[38]
[39]
[40]
Bathurst
New Brunswick
2,100.05
91.62
27.92
[41]
[42]
[43]
Corner Brook
Newfoundland and Labrador
1,122.58
147.88
21.60
[44]
[45]
[46]
Miramichi
New Brunswick
7,564.06
178.98
27.78
[47]
[48]
[49]
Kentville
Nova Scotia
607.05
17.08
27.98
[50]
[51]
[52]
Edmundston
New Brunswick
1,582.36
106.84
19.06
[53]
[54]
[55]
Summerside
Prince Edward Island
125.12
28.21
16.97
[56]
[57]
[58]
Grand Falls-Windsor
Newfoundland and Labrador
54.84
54.84
12.34
[59]
[60]
[61]
Provincial geography
Flag of Prince Edward Island
Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador
Demographics
The following tables provide 2021 census figures for "
Metropolitan Areas " (built from entire municipalities) and "
Population Centres " (limited to actual continuously-built-up areas) in Atlantic Canada. The list includes communities above 15,000, by Metropolitan Area population, or 10,000 by Population Centre population.
Municipal populations
Municipality
Province
Type of Municipality
Population of Metropolitan Area (CA/CMA)
Population of Municipality
Population of Urban Area
References
Halifax
Nova Scotia
Municipality
465,703
439,819
348,634
[14]
[15]
[16]
St. John's
Newfoundland and Labrador
City
212,579
110,525
185,565
[17]
[18]
[19]
Moncton
New Brunswick
City
157,717
79,470
119,785
[20]
[21]
[22]
Saint John
New Brunswick
City
130,613
69,895
63,447
[23]
[24]
[25]
Fredericton
New Brunswick
City
108,610
63,116
64,614
[26]
[27]
[28]
Cape Breton
Nova Scotia
Municipality
98,318
93,694
30,960
[29]
[30]
[31]
Charlottetown
Prince Edward Island
City
78,858
38,809
52,390
[32]
[33]
[34]
Truro
Nova Scotia
Town
46,157
12,954
23,583
[35]
[36]
[37]
New Glasgow
Nova Scotia
Town
34,397
9,471
19,316
[38]
[39]
[40]
Bathurst
New Brunswick
City
31,387
12,157
15,985
[41]
[42]
[43]
Corner Brook
Newfoundland and Labrador
City
29,762
19,333
19,129
[44]
[45]
[46]
Miramichi
New Brunswick
City
27,593
17,692
11,594
[47]
[48]
[49]
Kentville
Nova Scotia
Town
26,929
6,630
14,905
[50]
[51]
[52]
Edmundston
New Brunswick
City
22,144
16,437
13,125
[53]
[54]
[55]
Summerside
Prince Edward Island
City
18,157
16,001
14,952
[56]
[57]
[58]
Grand Falls-Windsor
Newfoundland and Labrador
Town
13,853
13,853
11,986
[59]
[60]
[61]
Provincial populations
Economy
Atlantic Canada's primary
natural resource industries include
fishing ,
hydroelectricity ,
forestry , and
mining .
[66] The Atlantic provinces contribute to around 75% of Canada's fish production, with many coastal communities primarily dependent on fisheries.
[67] The access point for many of such fisheries being the
Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Atlantic
continental shelf .
[68]
Nova Scotia produces 75% of Canada's
gypsum .
Salt and
iron is also mined in the Atlantic provinces.
[69]
[66]
See also
References
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^
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^
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^
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Further reading
Hamilton, William Baillie (1996),
Place names of Atlantic Canada , University of Toronto Press,
ISBN
0-8020-0471-7
MacEachern, Alan Andrew (2001),
Natural selections: national parks in Atlantic Canada , McGill-Queen's University Press,
ISBN
0-7735-2157-7
Martinez, Andrew J; Martinez, Candace Storm (2003),
Marine Life of the North Atlantic: Canada to New England , Aqua Quest Publications,
ISBN
1-881652-32-7
Prieur, Benoit (2005),
Atlantic Canada , Ulysse Travel Publ,
ISBN
2894647239
External links
47°N 62°W / 47°N 62°W / 47; -62