Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Prince Edward Island

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, an island forming a Province of the Dominion of Canada, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence; area, about 2,134 square miles. Pop. about 100,000. The island is naturally divided into three peninsulas, and the whole is eminently agricultural and pastoral, the forests now being of comparatively limited extent. The climate is mild; winter, though longer and colder than in England, is free from damp, and summer is fitted to promote the growth of all the ordinary cereals. Sheep, cattle, and horses are reared in numbers; cod, mackerel, herring, oysters, and lobsters form the most productive part of the fisheries. The manufactures are chiefly confined to linen and flannels for domestic use; there are also several tanneries, and shipbuilding is carried on to a considerable extent. The exports consist of timber, agricultural produce, and live stock. The capital is Charlottetown. Pop. about 12,000. The island is supposed to have been discovered by Cabot. It was first colonized by France, captured by Great Britain in 1745, restored and recaptured, and finally in 1873 was admitted to the Dominion of Canada.