The country is covered by a network of railways, with a total length of 1,451 miles. The roads are good and cover some 18,000 miles. Telegraph and telephone lines ex tend all over the province, with cable stations at Canso and Sydney. There are Government owned and commercial radio stations at Halifax, Seal island and Sambro outer Bank light ship; direction-finding stations at Canso, Chebucto, St. Paul island and Yarmouth; and three licensed public commercial stations at Louisburg.
J. W. Dawson, Acadian Geology (1891), Canada and its Provinces, 23 vols. (Toronto, 1914) ; Chronicles of Canada, 32 vols. (Toronto, 1914) ; The Natural Resources of Nova Scotia (5923) ; Canada Year-Books; Publications of the Geological Survey of Canada.
Nova Scotia may well have been the Markland of early Norse and Icelandic voyages, and Cape Breton was visited by the Cabots in 1497-98, but not till 1604 was any attempt at perma nent colonization made by Europeans. In that year an expedition was headed by a Frenchman, Pierre de Guast, Sieur de Monts (1560–c. 1630), who had received from Henry IV. full powers to explore and take possession of all lands in North America lying be tween the 40th and 46th parallels of north latitude. De Monts and his friend de Poutrincourt (d. 1615), endeavoured to form settle ments at Port Royal (now Annapolis), St. Croix (in New Bruns wick) and elsewhere, but quarrels broke out with the Jesuits, and in 1613 the English colonists of Virginia invaded the settlement and expelled the greater part of the inhabitants. In 1621 Sir William Alexander obtained from James I. a grant of the whole peninsula, which was named in the patent, Nova Scotia, instead of Acadia, the old name given to the colony by the French. Dur ing the reign of Charles I. the still existing order of baronets of Nova Scotia was instituted, and their patents ratified in parlia ment. The Treaty of St. Germain-en-Laye (1632) confirmed France in the possession of Acadia, Cape Breton and New France; but fierce feuds broke out among the French settlers, and in
a force sent out by Cromwell took possession of the country, but by the Treaty of Breda (1667) it was restored to France by Charles II. Continual fighting went on between the French and the British colonists of New England, the Indians taking part, usually on the side of the French; in 1710 the province was finally captured by Great Britain and ceded to her in 1713 by the Treaty of Utrecht, under the name of "Acadia or Nova Scotia," the French remaining masters of Cape Breton. In 1749 Halifax was founded as a counterpoise to Louisbourg in Cape Breton, and over 4,000 colonists sent out. In 1769 Prince Edward island (formerly Isle St. Jean) was made a separate government. An influx of American Loyalists led in 1784 to the erection of New Brunswick into a separate colony.
During the wars of the American and French revolutions Hali fax grew apace. Between 1784 and 1828, a large Scottish emi gration, chiefly from the Highlands, had settled in the counties around Pictou, and the lumbering industry rose to great pro portions. Agriculture was for some time neglected, but in 1818 the letters of "Agricola" (John Young, 1773-1837) gave it an impetus. Representative institutions had been granted as early as 1758, but power long rested mainly in the hands of a Council of Twelve, comprising the chief justice, the Anglican bishop and other high officials. In 1848, after a long struggle, responsible government was won by the legislature, led by Joseph Howe.
In these political struggles, education was often the battle ground, the fight ending in 1864 in the establishment of free primary and secondary schools by Dr. (afterwards Sir Charles) Tupper, and the re-organization on an undenominational basis of Dalhousie university. (See HALIFAX.) In 1867 the province en tered the new Dominion of Canada. For some years afterwards an agitation in favour of repeal was maintained, but it has died away.
After several previous attempts, an effort was made in 1926 to abolish the second chamber (or legislative council), the premier, the Hon. E. N. Rhodes, suggesting that the members of the legis lative council should vote themselves out of office. This was de clined, and the opinion of the judicial committee of the Privy Council in England was sought on the competence of the lieuten ant-governor either to dismiss members of the upper house or to increase their numbers above 21 by Order in Council. On Oct. 19, 1927, it was determined that the lieutenant-governor had power to appoint any number of members to the legislative council, such members being appointed "during the pleasure of His Majesty represented in that behalf by the lieutenant-governor acting by and with the advice of the executive council." The Government thereupon proceeded in its determination to abolish the house. Some members of the upper chamber were dismissed and 13 new members were appointed, with the result that on Feb. 29, 1928, the bill for its own abolition was passed by the upper chamber of the Nova Scotia legislature.
history see Duncan Campbell, Nova Scotia (1873) ; T. C. Haliburton ("Sam Slick"), Historical and Statistical Account of Nova Scotia (1829) ; Beamish Murdoch, History of Nova Scotia or Acadia (1865) ; Sir John Bourinot, Builders of Nova Scotia (Iwo). Consult L'Abbe H. R. Casgrain, Un Pelerinage au pays d'Evangeline (1888), on the French side ; E. Parkman, Montcalm and Wolfe, on the other. For general information, see S. E. Dawson, North America (1897) ; Sir Wm. Dawson, Acadian Geology (4th ed., 1891) ; J. C. Hopkins, Canada: an Encyclopaedia (6 vols.,