Prince Edward Island is a province of the Dominion of Canada, having entered the confederation in 1873. It is situated in the Gulf of St Lawrence, and is separated from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by Northumberland Strait. The greatest length of the island is 130 miles; its breadth varies from 4 to 34 miles, and it has an area of 2133 sq. m.—i.e. about 1,365,400 acres, nearly all of which are occupied. Population in 1891 numbered 109,088, or 52 persons to the square mile. Although discovered by the Cabots, no claim was made to it by the British on that account. Possession was assumed by the French, but little was done towards its settlement until 1715, when its fertility attracted some Acadians from Cape Breton. It was finally ceded to Great Britain in 1763. In the first instance it formed part of Nova Scotia, but in 1768 was made a separate province. The pop. in 1763 was 4000; but about that time an emigration set in to the mainland, and the Acadians were expelled, so that in 1768 it had been reduced to about 1300 (see ACADIA). Until 1799 it was called St John's Island, but its name was then changed to Prince Edward Island, in compliment to the Duke of Kent, who paid it a visit in that year. Prior to 1875 most of the land was the property of absentee proprietors, and for many years the land question was a source of difficulty. The local government, however, passed a measure in 1875 giving them powers to buy out the landlords, and to sell the land to the tenants or others on easy terms of repayment. Out of the 843,981 acres acquired by the government in that way, all but 97,162 acres had been disposed of up to 1889; and the payments are being met in a satisfactory manner, the arrears being very trifling. By this legislation a fruitful source of irritation was removed, and the agricultural industry—the principal one in the province—placed on a more satisfactory footing.
Seen from the water, the appearance of the island is exceedingly prepossessing. The surface is undulating, but never exceeds 500 feet; the soil is very fertile, consisting generally of a light reddish loam, and occasionally of a stiffer clay, resting in some places on red sandstone, although in other localities it seems to be entirely alluvial. All kinds of cereals, roots, and vegetables are raised. Oats and potatoes from the island enjoy a special reputation, and the same thing may be said of its sheep and horses. A natural manure, called mussel mud, and made of decayed oyster, clam, and mussel shells, is found on the coasts of the island. It is largely used by the farmers, and is said to be a most valuable fertiliser. Although coal is known to exist, it is not worked, owing to the depth at which it is found and the cheapness at which it can be purchased from Nova Scotia. There are apparently no other minerals on the island. The climate is healthy, being milder than that of the mainland, and freer from fogs. Winter is long and tedious, but the summer months are pleasant and enjoyable. Prince Edward Island is without doubt the best fishing station in the Gulf of St Lawrence, but the habits and feelings of the inhabitants are so decidedly agricultural that the fisheries have not received from them the attention they deserve. They consist chiefly of mackerel, lobsters, herring, cod, hake, and oysters; while salmon, bass, shad, halibut, and trout are caught in limited quantities. In the last years of the past century the value of the fisheries had reached 980,000 a year. The annual value of the oyster-fishery exceeds 120,000; and this industry is still capable of vast development. Lobsters are exported to the extent of about 920,000 lb. annually, of the value of $120,000. Of the 718,000 acres of cultivated land, 540,000 are under crop, 178,000 are pasture, and 4000 are gardens and orchards. The conditions are also favourable for the breeding and rearing of live stock, of which large numbers are annually exported to other parts of Canada and the eastern states of the American Union.
The coast-line is a succession of bays and projecting headlands; the largest bays are Egmont,
Hillsborough, and Cardigan, which by penetrating into the land from opposite directions form narrow isthmuses, dividing the island into three distinct peninsulas. Charlottetown is the capital, and has a pop. of 13,000. Other principal towns are Summerside (3000), Georgetown, and Somis. The rivers are naturally short, but the province is well watered. Manufactures are not carried on to any large extent, and chiefly for local purposes. Shipbuilding was an important industry previous to the substitution of iron and steel for wooden vessels.
The exports for 1890 were valued at 875,964, divided as follows: Produce of the mine, 20; forest, 7575; fisheries, 187,743; agriculture, 664,638; manufactures, 14,871; and miscellaneous, 1117. Imports were valued at 581,177. There is a railway, built and worked by the Dominion government, running from one end of the island to the other. The island is connected by telegraph with the mainland, and there is daily steam communication between the two, although it is occasionally interrupted during the winter. In 1891 the people were urging the construction of a tunnel under the Northumberland Strait, for the purpose of establishing communication with the mainland all the year round. The Dominion government directed an estimate of the cost to be prepared. The tunnel would be some 7 miles long. According to the census of 1891, the settlers were largely of English, Irish, and Scotch descent, and French, Germans, and Scandinavians. The principal religious denominations were: Roman Catholics, 47,115; Presbyterians, 33,835; Methodists, 13,485; Church of England, 7192. The Bishop of Nova Scotia exercises episcopal authority over the island, and the Roman Catholics have one diocese, that of Charlottetown. Free education has prevailed since 1853. In 1893 the district schools numbered about 467. There are also grammar-schools, private schools, a normal and a model school, and two colleges—the Prince of Wales (Protestant) and St Dunstan's (Roman Catholic). The government of the island is administered by a lieutenant-governor, appointed by the governor-in-council, and paid out of federal funds. The legislative council consists of thirteen members, and the assembly of thirty members, the latter being elected for four years. In the Dominion senate the province is represented by four members, and in the House of Commons by six.