The Canadian province of Nova Scotia (a name which means “New Scotland” in Latin), is actually a long, slender peninsula surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Fundy and Northumberland Strait. Nova Scotia is 580 kilometers long, with an area of 55,491 square kilometers. With an average width of about 128 kilometers, no part of the province is far from the sea. Its population is about 950,000. The capital city is Halifax, an international seaport and transportation centre.

Fishing, forestry and pulp and paper, agriculture, tourism, and natural gas are important elements of the economy. Education and research are also a primary focus of its economy; the province has more than 12 universities and colleges, a high per-capita percentage for its population.