Perhaps famed most for its location atop the Atlantic Ocean, opening Canada to the Eastern world, Nova Scotia presents a unique blend of city environments, that are at once both modern and classical, with the vibrant greenery and incredible geography of rural North America, and its proud heritage and cultural traditions reflect a respect for both the sea and land. Halifax’s harbour is one of the largest and most important natural structures in North America, and has acted as a major hub in Nova Scotia for centuries. The city itself is centered on the Citadel Hill, once the founding ground of Halifax in the 1700’s, and now a National Historic Site within Canada. Outside of downtown Halifax, the city districts stretch far into mainland Nova Scotia, separated by hilled landscapes and dense forests. Nova Scotia’s geography is as distinct and varied as the communities that populate it, with high cliffs and hills composing much of the northern land structure, and flat plains and beaches to the south. Though there are hundreds of settlements across the province, from small towns to vast cities, all connected by a network of road and rail lines, much of the Nova Scotian landscape remains untouched, and provides a completely new environment to discover and explore.