Name Origin:
Prince Edward Island was named for Prince Edward (son of King George III - who was then the commander of the Brisitsh troups in North America).  Previous to this time, it was also called Abegweit (Mi'kmaq word Abeweit  meaning cradled in the waves;) Ile Saint-Jean from 1534 to 1758; and Island of Saint John from 1758 to 1799.


Province's Motto:
PARVA SUB INGENTI - The small under the protection of the great.


Province's Symbols:

Tree:                 Red oak
Bird:                  Blue Jay

Official Language:
  English

Time Zone:
 Atlantic

Prince Edward Island is a sort of crescent-shaped, with many coastlines and small harbours. It is also known for its red soil! The west of the province is mostly flat, the central region has more hills, and the east boasts of sand dunes, beaches and shores.

P.E.I.'s size is 5,660 sqaure kilometres (2,185 square miles), which gives it a rank of 12th amongst Canada's provinces and territories.

Superlatives:
Highest point is Springton, Queen's County at 152 metres (499 feet).
Highest recorded temperature is 36.7 degrees Celcius (98.1 degrees Farenheit) at Charlottettown on August 19, 1935.
The lowest recorded temperature is -37.2 degrees Celcius (-35 degrees Farenheit) at Kilmahumaig on January 26, 1884.
The greatest recorded snowfall was on December 30, 1921 in Charlottetown, at 92.7 cm (36.6 in) -- which lasted five days!

P.E.I.'s Climate:
The temperature averages -7˚ degrees Celcius (-19˚ degrees Farenheit) in January, and 18.5˚ degrees Celcius (65.3˚ degrees Farenheit) in July. The average snowfall is 330.6 cm (130.2 in) a year. The average precipitation is 1,169.4 mm (46.1 inches) a year.

Capital - Charlottetown:
Can be found at the confluence of the 3 rivers, on a broad harbour, that leads into the North Umberland Straight. It was the French who first established Port La Joie back in 1730. In 1758, the British changed the name to Fort Amherst. Then, on October 25, 1768, a new site across from the harbour was named Charlotte Town, in honour of Queen Charlotte. The town was incorporated on April 17, 1855.

Still on the Books - Can you believe it?
It may be safer, but it's no fun to be in Charlottetown on Halloween night if you're a kid. There's a curfew for 8 p.m. on anyone under 16, unless accompanied by an adult.  If arrested, fines can vary between $100 and $500, or up to 3 months in jail.



Still a Mystery:
Just ouside of Wellington, west of Sumerside the "Phantom Train" has been sighted crossing a bridge several times since 1885. Usually on December evenings, many people report seeing railroad cars, engines and passengers --- even though no trains were expected to pass by at the time!

Politicians' promises never change...

"Elect me and I will keep you out of Confederation."

- Cornelius Howatt, politician, campaign promise in the 1873 election which got him elected to the Legislative Assembly of P.E.I. (which later that year voted to join with Canada).