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The Land
New Brunswick borders on Nova Scotia, Quebec and the U.S. state
of Maine. It is rectangular in shape, extending 322 kilometres
north to south and 242 kilometres east to west.
New Brunswick has a land mass of 73 500 km2, 85
percent of which is forest. The northern part of the province is
quite mountainous, the tallest peak being Mount Carleton at 820
metres high. The interior consists mainly of a rolling plateau,
flatter in the east and more hilly in the southeast.
The main rivers are the Miramichi, Nepisguit, Restigouche and
Saint John. Known as "oa-lus-tuk" or "beautiful
river" to the Aboriginal people, the Saint John waters the
fertile lands of the western part of the province over a distance
of 725 kilometres. Downstream, in the Madawaska area, it traces a
natural boundary between Canada and the state of Maine.
Twice a day, with the rising tide of the Atlantic Ocean, 100
billion tonnes of water stream past a rocky headland in the Bay of
Fundy. The current created is practically equal to the flow of all
the world's rivers over a 24-hour period. The eastern end of the
Bay has tides of nearly 15 metres, the highest in the world,
sufficient to completely submerge a four-storey building.
The History
The existence of New Brunswick was known to the Europeans as
early as the 1400s, when intrepid Basque fishermen plied their
trade off Miscou in the northeast region of the province. At that
time, the region was inhabited by the Malecite and Micmac peoples.
The Micmacs were the first to receive Samuel de Champlain and the
French when they landed in New Brunswick in 1604. The Aboriginal
people established good relations with the French from the outset,
helping the French settlers, known as Acadians, to adapt to their
new country and taking part in the French attacks on New England.
The British and French feuded over the area for a century.
Control passed back and forth until 1713, when Acadia was ceded to
the British under the Treaty of Utrecht. With time, France lost
interest in the Acadians, turning most of its attention to New
France and the burgeoning fur trade.
By 1755, England had established its dominance as a colonial
power. Fearing that the Acadians were a security threat, the
British deported, mainly to the United States, more than 10 000
Acadians who would not swear allegiance to the British Crown.
Their exile lasted eight years, after which a significant number
returned to their homeland.
The New Brunswick we know today was first part of Nova Scotia.
In 1783, the western part of Nova Scotia became the home of
thousands of Loyalists who had taken flight in the aftermath of
the American Revolution. These American colonists, wishing to
remain faithful to the British Crown, founded communities in the
northern part of present-day New Brunswick and soon were anxious
to establish a new colony. The separation of territory took effect
in 1784 and the name "New Brunswick" was chosen in
honour of King George III (1760-1820), a descendant of the
Brunswick House. In 1867, New Brunswick joined other provinces to
form the Dominion of Canada.
The People
In 2000, the population of New Brunswick was 757 000. With
the highest percentage of Francophones outside Quebec (almost 35
percent), New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual
province.
The heritage of New Brunswick's people is a blended one,
combining elements of the French, British Loyalist, Scottish and
Irish traditions, with later elements of German, Scandinavian and
Asian. The little municipality of New Denmark boasts North
America's largest Danish colony. The Aboriginal people of New
Brunswick number more than 10 000, most of them Micmac and
Malecite.
The coasts and river valleys are the areas of heaviest
population; Saint John is the largest city, followed by Moncton
and Fredericton, the provincial capital.
The Economy
Leading the manufacturing industries is food, followed by
wood-based industries, pulp and paper and related products, metal
processing and transportation equipment. Processing of
non-metallic ores and primary metals is also a significant
manufacturing industry.
Tourism is a vital part of the province's economy. In 1998,
nearly 1.5 million people visited New Brunswick's tourist
attractions, including its two national parks and numerous
provincial parks.
New Brunswick has an abundance of natural resources. Forests
occupy 85 percent of the land mass; consequently, wood and wood
products are a cornerstone of the economy, with black spruce and
fir leading the list. Mining, too, is important. New Brunswickers
mine silver, bismuth, cadmium, coal, copper, natural gas, gold,
oil, lead, potash, peat, tungsten, silica, salt and zinc.
Fishing and agriculture are also very important. More than 50
varieties of fish and shellfish are caught here; in fact, the town
of Shediac has been called the"lobster capital of the
world."In agriculture, New Brunswick is self-sufficient in
the production of forage, milk and poultry. Its potatoes are
renowned in over 25 countries; strawberries, apples, blueberries
and vegetables are produced for local consumption and for export.
New Brunswick exports a great deal to the New England states -
more than $2.5 billion in 1999. Petroleum products, lumber,
electrical energy, frozen lobsters and wood pulp are among the
most exported commodities.
In recent years, New Brunswick has undertaken an effort to
further promote economic development that has resulted in new
industries and companies being established in the province.
Information technology has been a growth industry for the
province, which now describes itself as the "Call Centre
Capital of North America," with more than fifty companies
having established facilities in the province.
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