Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The defining feature of island culture is its rural roots - most islanders are just one or
two generations removed from the family farm or fishing boat, or are still there working
it. There are descendants of the original Mi'kmaq (mig-
maw
) population and small
pockets of French Acadians in the eastern and western parts of the province. Most is-
landers, however, trace their heritage to the British Isles.
PEI FAST FACTS
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Population: 145,000
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Area: 5700 sq km
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Capital: Charlottetown
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Quirky fact: Kilos of potatoes produced per year - 1.3 billion
History
Its Aboriginal inhabitants, the Mi'kmaq, knew the island as Abegeit - 'Land Cradled on
the Waves.' Although Jacques Cartier of France first recorded PEI's existence in 1534,
European settlement didn't begin until 1603. Initially small, the French colony grew only
after Britain's expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia in the 1750s. In 1758 the
British took the island, known then as Île St Jean, and expelled the 3000 Acadians. Bri-
tain was officially granted the island in the Treaty of Paris of 1763.
To encourage settlement, the British divided the island into 67 lots and held a lottery to
give away the land. Unfortunately, most of the 'Great Giveaway' winners were speculat-
ors and did nothing to settle or develop the island. The questionable actions of these ab-
sentee landlords hindered population growth and caused incredible unrest among is-
landers.
One of the major reasons PEI did not become part of Canada in 1867 was because uni-
on did not offer a solution to the land problem. In 1873 the Compulsory Land Purchase
Act forced the sale of absentee landlords' land and cleared the way for PEI to join
Canada later that year. Foreign land ownership, however, is still a sensitive issue in the
province. The population has remained stable, at around 140,000, since the 1930s.
In 1997 PEI was linked to New Brunswick and the mainland by the Confederation
Bridge - at almost 13km, it's the world's longest artificial bridge over ice-covered wa-
ters.
Getting There & Around
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