The Prince Edward Island region
Prince Edward Island (PEI or P.E.I.) is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name. One of the Maritimes, the Atlantic Province is the
nation's smallest province in land area and population.
Prince Edward Island has 135,851 residents collectively referred to as Islanders. It is the 104th largest island in the world, and Canada's 23rd largest
island. The island's namesake is Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent (1767-1820), the father of Queen Victoria.
Known as the "Garden of the Gulf", the Island is located in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence west of Cape Breton Island, north of the Nova Scotia peninsula,
and east of New Brunswick. Its southern shore forms the Northumberland Strait.
The island has two urban areas. The largest surrounds Charlottetown Harbour, situated centrally on the island's southern shore, and consists of the
capital city Charlottetown, as well as suburban towns Cornwall and Stratford and a developing urban fringe. A much smaller urban area surrounds
Summerside Harbour, situated on the southern shore 40 kilometres west of Charlottetown Harbour, and consists primarily of the city of Summerside. As
with all natural harbours on the island, Charlottetown and Summerside harbours are created by rias.
The island's landscape is pastoral: rolling hills, pristine forests, reddish white sand beaches, ocean coves and the famous red soil have given Prince
Edward Island a reputation as a province of outstanding natural beauty. The provincial government has enacted a number of laws that attempt to preserve
the landscape through regulation, although the lack of consistent enforcement and absence of province-wide zoning and land-use planning has resulted
in some aesthetically displeasing development in recent years.
The island's lush landscape has had a strong bearing not only on its economy but also its culture. Author Lucy Maud Montgomery drew inspiration from the
land during the late Victorian Era for the setting of her classic novel Anne of Green Gables. Today, many of the same qualities that Montgomery and
others found in the Island are enjoyed by tourists who visit during all seasons. They enjoy a variety of leisure activities, including beaches,
various golf courses, eco-tourism adventures, and simply touring the countryside and enjoying cultural events in local communities around the island.
The smaller rural communities as well as the towns and villages throughout the province proudly retain a slower-paced, old world flavour, something that
factors heavily into Prince Edward Island's popularity as a destination for relaxation. Most rural communities on Prince Edward Island are based on
small-scale agriculture, given that the size of farm properties is quite small when compared with other areas in Canada. There is an increasing amount
of industrial farming as older farm properties are consolidated and modernized.
The coastline of the island consists of a combination of long beaches, dunes, red sandstone cliffs, salt water marshes and numerous bays and harbours.
The beaches, dunes and sandstone cliffs consist of sedimentary rock and other material with a high iron concentration which oxidizes upon exposure to
the air. The geological properties of a white silica sand found at Basin Head are unique in the province; the sand grains cause a scrubbing noise as
they rub against each other when walked on. Large dune fields on the north shore can be found on barrier islands at the entrances to various bays
and harbours. The magnificent sand dunes at Greenwich are of particular significance. The shifting, parabolic dune system is home to a variety of
birds and rare plants and is also a site of significant archeological interest...............
Adopted from and read more at:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Edward_Island |
