Nova Scotia Facts

  • Nova Scotia is one of 10 provinces and three territories of Canada, located on the East Coast and it is almost completely surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Halifax, the Province’s capital city is a major international seaport and transportation centre as well as the economic and cultural hub of the region.
  • No point in Nova Scotia is more than 60 km from the sea.
  • The population is approximately 940,000 and English is the official language, although Nova Scotians of Acadian heritage speak French.
  • Nova Scotia was already home to the Mi’kmaq people when the first European colonists arrived.
  • French colonists established the first permanent European settlement in 1605 at Port Royal which became known as Acadia.
  • The British followed and obtained control of the region between 1710 and 1758, establishing Halifax as the new capital in 1749.
  • Nova Scotia was one of the founding four provinces to join Confederation with Canada in 1867.
  • The name Nova Scotia is Latin for New Scotland.
  • The province is located within the Atlantic Standard Time Zone (AST) four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST).
  • The weather in Nova Scotia is moderate and has four distinct seasons: winter, spring, summer and fall.

A region rich in history and culture.