Search results
People also ask
Is Nova Scotia a province?
How many people live in Nova Scotia?
How is Nova Scotia connected to Canada?
When did Nova Scotia become Canada?
Find all the helpful info you need to plan your visit to Nova Scotia, Canada. Discover the top things to see and do, along with unique experiences.
- Map
We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience....
- Trip Ideas
With so many things to see and do, we’ve pulled together...
- Places to Stay
From hotels of all shapes and sizes, luxurious resorts &...
- Unique Experiences
Nova Scotia is home to some of the most authentic, exclusive...
- Accommodations
Pack your tent for a backcountry camping adventure, be...
- Things to Do
From Yarmouth to Meat Cove and all points in between, your...
- Campgrounds
Whether you prefer roughing it in the back country, glamping...
- Travel Info
Nova Scotia is closer than you think! Travel by air, by sea...
- Travel Guides
Discover where to go and what to do on your next Nova Scotia...
- Featured Packages
With so much to do, one of the best ways to experience Nova...
- Map
Nova Scotia is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada, with an estimated population of over 1 million as of 2024; it is also the second-most densely populated province in Canada, and second-smallest province by area.
May 22, 2024 · Plan your visit to Nova Scotia, Canada, with these local tips and insight on everything from health and safety to packing and transportation.
- Overview
- Relief, drainage, and soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
Nova Scotia, Canadian province located on the eastern seaboard of North America, one of the four original provinces (along with New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec) that constituted the Dominion of Canada in 1867. Roughly 360 miles (580 km) long but not more than about 80 miles (130 km) wide at any point, the province comprises the peninsula of Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island (separated from the mainland to the southwest by the narrow Strait of Canso), and a number of small adjacent islands. Along the narrow Chignecto Isthmus, which seems to thrust the peninsula into the Atlantic Ocean, runs the province’s only land boundary, with New Brunswick to the west. Two arms of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Northumberland and Cabot straits, separate Nova Scotia respectively from Prince Edward Island to the north and the island of Newfoundland to the northeast. To the east and south lies the Atlantic and to the northwest the Bay of Fundy. Halifax is the capital.
Nova Scotia is one of Canada’s Maritime Provinces (along with New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island), and both its past and its present are tied closely to the maritime life of fishing, shipbuilding, and transatlantic shipping. It became the site of the first permanent European settlement in North America north of Florida when the French established a fur-trading post at Port Royal (near present-day Annapolis Royal) in 1605. Early explorers gave the area the name Acadia (French: Acadie), probably a corruption of the word used by the native Mi’kmaq. The province’s present name, which means “New Scotland” in Latin, was the result of brief Scottish claims to the region in the 1620s. Area 21,345 square miles (55,284 square km). Pop. (2021) 969,383.
Nova Scotia’s upland regions reach a maximum elevation of more than 1,700 feet (520 metres) above sea level in the Cape Breton Highlands. The most important lowlands lie along the Bay of Fundy and the Minas Basin in the southwest and along the Northumberland Strait. Many of the tens of thousands of acres of marshland created by the tremendously high tides—among the highest in the world—of the Bay of Fundy have been turned to agricultural use by dikes, which were begun in the mid-17th century by the early French settlers, the Acadians.
More than 3,000 lakes and hundreds of short rivers and streams either have been impounded by or have cut through the irregularly high and low landscapes. The best-known of the lakes, Bras d’Or on Cape Breton Island, is saline, connected to the Atlantic Ocean through three short channels. Many intruding heads of land make the lake’s 424 square miles (1,098 square km) a geographic complexity.
Britannica Quiz
Islands and Archipelagos
Nova Scotia has a modified continental climate that is greatly influenced by the proximity of the sea. The Atlantic coastal regions experience the warmest winter and coolest summer temperatures. At Halifax, on the central part of the Atlantic coast, the average daily temperature in January is about 24 °F (–4.5 °C), while in July the average daily temperature is nearly 66 °F (19 °C). Winters in the inland areas are generally colder, with the coldest temperatures occurring in the highlands, and summers are slightly warmer. Yearly precipitation (both rain and snow) varies considerably, depending on the section of the province, with total annual amounts ranging from less than 49 inches (1,250 mm) along the Northumberland Strait to more than 63 inches (1,600 mm) on the Cape Breton Highlands plateau.
Exclusive academic rate for students! Save 67% on Britannica Premium.
Forests occupy about four-fifths of the land area. About one-quarter of the woodland is held as crown, or public, land. Softwoods are by far the most numerous, led by species of balsam, spruce, hemlock, and pine; birch and maple make up most of the hardwoods. Animal life includes such game species as deer and moose and, among the birds, partridge, ...
From Yarmouth to Meat Cove and all points in between, your Nova Scotia adventure awaits. Experience our sandy beaches, mountain hikes, whale watching, coastal inlets perfect for paddling, national parks, charming seaside towns and bustling city nights.
Discover Nova Scotia's must-see signature attractions including the iconic Peggy's Cove Lighthouse, the Joggins Fossil Cliffs (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the scenic Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island. Come enjoy our warm East Coast Hospitality, and sample our fresh Atlantic Canada Seafood!
Sep 29, 2021 · 1. Halifax. Best for a day on the waterfront. A stroll along the Halifax harborside boardwalk is the best way to get to know Nova Scotia’s capital city and its rich history. Begin at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, where waves of immigrants entered Canada.
