Canada's Regions

Canada's vast geography is divided into five main regions, each with its own landscape, economy, and culture.

The Atlantic Provinces

The four Atlantic provinces — New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island (PEI), and Newfoundland and Labrador — are Canada's easternmost region. They have a maritime history tied to fishing, shipbuilding, and the sea.

• •New Brunswick — Canada's only officially bilingual province; major forestry and fishing industry.
• •Nova Scotia — named 'New Scotland'; Halifax is the regional capital.
• •Prince Edward Island — smallest province; famous for potatoes and Anne of Green Gables.
• •Newfoundland and Labrador — Canada's youngest province (joined 1949); rich in natural resources.

Central Canada

Ontario and Quebec together are called 'Central Canada' and contain over half of Canada's population. They are the economic and cultural heartland of the nation.

• •Ontario — most populous province; home to Ottawa (capital) and Toronto (largest city).
• •Quebec — Canada's largest province by area; predominantly French-speaking; Montreal is its largest city.

The Prairie Provinces

The Prairie provinces — Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta — cover the vast, flat interior of Canada. They are the breadbasket of Canada, producing wheat, canola, and cattle, and also rich in oil and natural gas (especially Alberta).

• •Manitoba — known as the 'gateway to the West'; Winnipeg is its capital.
• •Saskatchewan — the 'wheat province'; largest wheat producer in Canada.
• •Alberta — oil and gas powerhouse; Calgary and Edmonton are its major cities.

The West Coast

British Columbia (BC) is Canada's Pacific gateway and one of its most diverse provinces. Vancouver is a major Pacific Rim trading hub; the province also has vast forests, mountains, and a mild climate.

• •British Columbia — Canada's most mountainous province; major Pacific trade hub.
• •Vancouver — Canada's third-largest city; home to a large population of Asian Canadians.
• •Victoria — the provincial capital, known for its British heritage and mild climate.

The Northern Territories

The three northern territories — Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut — cover more than one-third of Canada's land mass, but are home to fewer than 120,000 people.

• •Yukon — known for the Klondike Gold Rush (1898); Whitehorse is its capital.
• •Northwest Territories — rich in diamonds and natural gas; Yellowknife is its capital.
• •Nunavut — created in 1999; 'our land' in Inuktitut; Iqaluit is its capital.