New Brunswick

New Brunswick is the sole province in Canada which is constitutionally bilingual (having both English and French as official languages). Fredericton is the capital of the province.

Geography
Towards the north of New Brunswick lies Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula and Chaleur Bay. The Bay of Fundy lies towards the south of New Brunswick. On the west of the province lies the American state of Maine. The major rivers here include Saint John River, St. Croix River, Petitcodiac River, Kennebecasis River, Miramichi River, Nepisiguit River and Restigouche River. The northern part of New Brunswick is located inside the Appalachian Mountains. The New Brunswick Lowlands occupy the east and central parts of New Brunswick. 80% of the total area in New Brunswick is covered by forests.

Climate
New Brunswick consists of a significant coastline but is away from Atlantic Ocean and the climate has a more continental feel instead of maritime.

History
The earliest people who lived there were the Mi'kmaq. The French explorer called Jacques Cartier came down to the region in 1534. The British gained control over Nova Scotia in 1713 through the Treaty of Utrecht. Subsequently during the Seven Years War extending from 1756 to 1763, New Brunswick also came under the British rule. New Brunswick got into the Canadian Confederation along with three other original Canadian provinces on July 1, 1867.

Demographics
A major portion of the English population of New Brunswick consists of descendents from Loyalists who had fled the American Revolution. Irish ancestry population also occupies a significant portion, specifically in the Saint John as well as the Miramichi Valley. Among the ethnicities, French is the most common, followed by English, Irish, Scottish, German, Acadians and others. Majority of the population of New Brunswick follow the Roman Catholic religion.

Economy
The economy of the urban areas of New Brunswick is based on service – based industries like health care, finance, retail, education and insurance. Additionally heavy industries along with port facilities are available in Saint John. Universities, government services, and military dominate the economic scene of Fredericton, while Moncton has witnessed the growth of commercial, transportation, retail as well as distribution centers. The rural economy of New Brunswick is based on mining, forestry, fishing and mixed farming. The Irving groups of companies are the biggest employers in New Brunswick.

Cities
Some of the major cities in New Brunswick are:

• Saint John
• Fredericton (capital)
• Bathurst
• Campbellton
• Dieppe
• Edmundston
• Miramichi

Famous people
Some of the notable personalities from New Brunswick include:

• Richard Bedford Bennett, Canadian Prime Minister
• Sam De Grasse, actor
• Bliss Carman, poet
• Raymond Fraser, author