Prince Edward Island
(In Detail) (In Detail)
Motto: Parva Sub Ingenti (The small under the protection of the great)
CapitalCharlottetown
Area

 - Total
 - % fresh water
13th largest
(10th lgst prov.)

5 660 km²
--
Population
 - Total (2001)
 - Density
Ranked 10th
138 500
24.47/km²
Admittance into Confederation
 - Date
 - Order
PEI colony
joined Confed.

1873
8
Time zone UTC -4
Postal information
Postal abbreviation
Postal code prefix
 
PE
C
ISO 3166-2CA-PE
Parliamentary
representation

 House seats
 Senate seats
 

4
4
PremierPat Binns (P.C.)
Lieutenant-GovernorJ. Léonce Bernard
Government of Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island (PEI; French, l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard) is Canada's smallest province in terms of both size and population.

The province, in the Canadian Maritimes comprises the island of the same name located in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence northeast of New Brunswick from which it is separated by the Northumberland Strait. The strait was recently spanned by Confederation Bridge.

The population is 138 500 (Prince Edward Islanders). The capital and largest city is Charlottetown. See also a list of communities in Prince Edward Island.

PEI is known for its potatoes, and is also known as the setting for Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series.

Table of contents
1 History
2 Politics
3 See also

History

The island has been known in Mi'kmaq as Abegweit, and as part of New France was called Île Saint-Jean. Having taken it over in 1759, the British changed its name to Prince Edward Island in 1798 to disambiguate from other St. Johns in the Atlantic area, such as Saint John, New Brunswick and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. It was named for the brother of King George III, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, who was then commanding troops in Halifax.

In 1864, Prince Edward Island hosted the conference that led to the Articles of Confederation and the creation of Canada in 1867. Nevertheless, it only joined Canada as a province in 1873.

Politics

In the most recent provincial election, Premier Pat Binns was returned to power.

Little known PEI facts:

  • Until 1924, automobiles drove on the left side of the road

See also