Subregions of Canada 167
For example, about 85 percent of the land in Nova Scotia
cannot be farmed because of rocky hills and poor soil.
In New Brunswick, forests cover 90 percent of the land.
Newfoundland—made up of the island of Newfound-
land, Labrador, and nearby islands—is visited by fierce
storms that roar up the Atlantic seaboard.
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES Despite the sometimes harsh
conditions, the people of the Atlantic Provinces have
learned to use what the land and the sea offer them. For
example, New Brunswick’s dense forests provide the
province with its largest industry—logging. This indus-
try produces lumber, wood pulp, and paper products.
The Gulf of St. Lawrence and coastal waters supply plen-
tiful stocks of seafood for export. Also, there is mining
for zinc, copper, lead, and silver.
Logging and fishing are mainstays of the economy of
Nova Scotia, too. This province boasts one of the largest
fish-processing plants in North America. In addition,
shipbuilding and trade through the port of Halifax pro-
vide more employment and revenue. Until the 20th cen-
tury, fishing was the principal industry in Newfoundland.
Today, the province also has healthy mining and logging
industries. Moreover, its hydroelectric-power resources
are part of a system supplying power to Quebec and parts
of the northeastern United States.
The Core Provinces—
Quebec and Ontario
In 1608, Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer, built a fort, the first
European structure in what is now Canada, at present-day Quebec City.
Four centuries later, the lands he colonized are part of the country’s most
dynamic region—
Quebec and Ontario, Canada’s Core Provinces.
THE HEARTLAND OF CANADA Quebec and Ontario are often referred
to as Canada’s heartland, and with good reason. Three out of five
Canadians live there. Ontario is the largest province in terms of popu-
lation, Quebec in land area. Most of the settlement in these inland
provinces is found along the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.
Each province is the core of one of Canada’s two major cultures. A large
number of Canada’s English-speaking majority live in Ontario. For most
French-speaking Canadians, Quebec is home.
CANADA’S POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CENTER Ontario and Quebec
are at the center of Canada’s political and economic life. Ottawa is the
capital of the federal government. It is located in southeastern Ontario,
right next to the border of Quebec province. Quebec has its own politi-
cal importance as the heart of French Canadian life.
Ontario and Quebec also power Canada’s economy. Together, they
account for more than 35 percent of Canadian agricultural production,
45 percent of its mineral output, and 70 percent of its manufacturing. As
Acadians to Cajuns
Colonists from France founded
the colony of Acadia on the
eastern coast of what is now
Canada in 1604. Tensions flared
between these settlers and
later arrivals from England
and Scotland, however.
In 1713, the British gained
control of Acadia and renamed
it Nova Scotia (New Scotland).
They expelled about 4,000
descendants of the original
Acadians. Many eventually set-
tled in southern Louisiana. Today,
their culture still thrives in the
Mississippi Delta area, where
the people are called Cajuns
(an alteration of Acadian).
US & CANADA
Using the Atlas
Look at the
map on page 154.
Which bodies of
water do the
Atlantic Provinces
border?
