Halifax
Halifax is a community of Halifax Regional Municipality since 1996and the capital of
Nova Scotia and the largest city in Atlantic Canada. Halifax is located on a peninsula which is 2 miles in length and 4.5 miles in width. The Halifax harbor, which is the world’s second largest natural harbor, is surrounded by a hilly terrain which provides ships with solid protection against the storms. Today, the port of Halifax is one of the busiest in North America.
The town of Halifax was founded by Governor Edward Cornwallis together with 2500 English settlers in 1749. The town was established as an army and naval base in order to protect its occupants from invasions of the French. The Canadian government took over the base from the British in 1906. However, the area was a French fishing station before Governor Cornwallis arrived and the people living there were known as Acadians. They were French-speaking, with their culture a blend of Irish, Scottish and Portuguese elements.
Halifax has cool summers and relatively mild winters. Average highs and lows vary between 23.3 °C in July and -1.6 °C in January. Only a small percentage of annual precipitation is due to snow and about 120 days out of the year are foggy. According to a recent record, the metropolitan area of Halifax is ranked 13th among all such areas in
Canada. Today, the population of the so called Greater Halifax is over 370,000. These are approximately 40 percent of all Nova Scotia’s residents and over 15 percent of Atlantic Canadians. Over half of the resident population is younger than 40 and about a quarter of its residents are under the age of 20.
The major industries developed in Halifax are connected with the port and the port associates. The list of the top industries in the city include:
mining,
natural gas extraction, forestry, agriculture and fishing, of course. The food industry is one of the best developed in the area as it is of high interest for the visitors of the city.
Halifax offers various tourist attractions in view of historic and cultural sites. The Historic Properties are the oldest surviving set of waterfront warehouses on the territory of Canada. Today, the restored buildings shelter various shop and boutiques, bars and restaurants, entertainment and boardwalk. You have the opportunity to sip a cup of coffee, listen to lively music, and buy presents for your dear ones. The World Peace Pavilion is a triangular-shaped monument, a place of education, reflection and inspiration. The monument incorporates bricks and stones from around the world and among them: a piece from the Great Wall of China, as well as a stone from the Berlin Wall, which formerly divided
Germany. The Halifax Public Gardens is a 17-acre park with magnificent variety of plants from around the world. Founded in 1753 as a private garden, the Public Gardens is indeed the oldest park on the North American continent. Here, you have the opportunity to observe a number of interesting plant spices and relax in the beauty of the surrounding landscape.