PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, a province of the dominion of Canada, in the s. of the gulf of St. Lawrence, and separated from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by the strait of Northumberland, lat. about 45° 56' to 47° 4' n.,iong. 62° to 64° 23' west. Length, 130 in. ; breadth. 4 to 34 in.; area, 2,173 sq. miles. Pop. '41, 47,034; '43, 62,678; '71, 94,021. The surface is undulating; but few of the hills, the chief of which arc in the middle of the island, and run front n. to s., are upward of 300 ft. in height. The coasts are girdled by a bold line of red sandstone cliffs, varying in height from 20 to 100 ft., and are indented with numerous bays and inlets, several of winch, as Cardigan bay an the e., the entrance to Georgetown, and Hillsborough bay on the s., the entrance to Charlottetown (the capital of the colony), are deep spacious, and afford safe anchorage for large vessels. Other inlets are Bedeque and Egmont bays on the s., and Holland, Richmond, and St. Peter's bays on the north. The rivers are mostly short. The soil, which is well watered with numerous springs and rivers, rests upon red sandstone, and consists for the most pare of a layer of vegetable matter above a light loam, which rests upon stiff clay above sandstone. It is of great fertility, and the agricultural products arc about double the quantity required for local consumption. Of the whole area, consisting of 1,360,000 acres, 1,300,000 acres are "good "land, and 00.000 acres are "poor" land; and in 1851 there were under cultivation 215,380 acres; in 1871, 1,097,860 acres. Since the year 1818 agriculture has become it much more important branch of industry. Between 1848 and 1861 the agricultural products had increased in many instances fourfold. In 1871 the amount of wheat produced was 269,392 bushels; of barley, 176,441 bushels; oats, 3,123,576 bushels; beans and peas, 1326 bushels; maize, 2,411 bushels; and potatoes, 3.375,726 bushels. In April, 1871, the live stock in the colony comprised 25,329 horses, 62,984 large cattle, 147,364 sheep and lambs, and 52,514 pigs. The soil and climate art, admirably adapted for producing wheat, and all the cereals, fruits, and vegetables growl, in temperate climes are produced here. The climate, milder than that of the continental regions in the vicinity, and free from the fogs which prevail on cape Breton and Nova Scotia, is very healthy. Prince Edward Island is extremely poor in minerals; copper
and hog-iron ore are known to exist in small quantities. In the neighboring waters extensive and profitable fisheries are carried on The fish caught are principally mack erel, salmon, alewives or gaspereaux (of the herring family), herrings, codfish, and hake. Manufactures are not important. though cloth is made to some small extent. The Prince Edward Island railway, 198 m. in length, was opened in 1875. It is constructed On a 3 ft. 6 in. gauge, and cost about £3,300 per mile. The value of total imports for 1873-74 amounted to £382,740; of the exports, to £144,426. The revenue of the colony for 1874 was £81,270; the expenditure, £88,780. The colonial government was vested in a lieutenant-governor, a house of assembly, a legislative council, and an executive coun cil appointed by the lieutenant-governor. The legislature of Prince Edward Island declined to agree to the plan for a union of the British North American colonies which resulted front the negotiations begun in 1864; but at lest, in 1873, this colony entered the confederation, and became one of the provinces of the dominion. Charlottetown, the provincial capital, had in 1871 a pop. of 8,807 (now 10,000j. In 1878 Prince. dward Island possessed 342 vessels of 55,547 tons. There are in the province a college, a nor mal school, a model school, 18 grammar schools, and about 370 district schools. Tuition is free to all but the college, with the exception of a small fee for fuel. In 11 months ended Jan. 1, 1874, £11.838 was disbursed from the colonial treasury for public educa tion. The island is divided into 3 counties—Prince, Queen's, and King's counties—of which the chief towns are respectively Summers:1n, Charlottetown, and Georgetown. All parts of the island are traversed by coach-roads; and the island hes a telegraphic sys tem, partly submarine. The railway crosses tno island, connecting Charlottetown with Tignish on the n.w., and Georgetown and Soaris on the s.e. The island was first taken possession of by the British in 1745, and was retaken by them, and finally annexed to their possessions in 1758.