Cape Breton Island is a part of Nova Scotia, a Province of Canada. The island was at one point administrated separately from Nova Scotia, and does have some different culture from the province but would be very small geographically and by population.
Before British Rule was established on the Island it was settled by the French, the island a colony of Acadia. The French garrison was at Louisbourg. The French named the island "Île Royale." It remained part of colonial France until it was ceded to the Britain under the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Britain merged the island with its adjacent colony of Nova Scotia.
Major Industries on the island have been Coal Mining, fishing and Steel Mill, however economic situations have changed and now tourism, call centers and small businesses are the major employers along with traditional fishing, forestry and small scale agriculture.