Prince Edward Island (PEI) is a Canada maritime province. PEI was founded by the British in 1758 and originally named St John's Island. The capital of PEI is Charlottetown. Although many of the original meetings for Confederation were held on the island, it did not enter Confederation until 1873.
The island has a total area of 5660 km2, and is not even one of the ten largest islands in Canada. The population in 2016 was 148,600 for 0.4% of the national total.[1] The per capita provincial income in 2005 was $29,993.[2]
Prince Edward Island is known around the world as the location of Anne of Green Gables by author Lucy Maud Montegomery with many tourists come to see the Victorian era homes. Tourists also enjoy beaches and visiting small, relaxing towns. These visits are made easier with the first "fixed link" to the island, the eight-mile long Confederation Bridge, which opened in 1997. Farming, fisheries and services make up the rest of the economy. Potato farming is very important in Prince Edward Island, it makes up one third of the farm income in the province.
Further reading
- The Dictionary of Canadian Biography (1966-2006), thousands of scholarly biographies of notables who died by 1930
- Canadian Encyclopedia (2008) reliable detailed encyclopedia, on-line free