Geography of Prince Edward Island
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(October 2021) |
 The coast of Prince Edward Island around Cavendish | |
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Gulf of Saint Lawrence |
| Total islands | 62 |
| Major islands | 1 |
| Area | 5,683.91 km2(2,194.57 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 140 m (460 ft)[1] |
| Highest point | Prince Edward Island high point |
| Administration | |
Canada | |
| Province | Prince Edward Island |
| Largest settlement | Charlottetown(pop. 36,094 (2016)) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 142,907 (2016) |
| Pop. density | 25.25/km2(65.4/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Scottish(38.0%),English(28.7%),Irish(27.9%),French(21.3%),German(4.0%), andDutch(3.1%) |
Thegeography of Prince Edward Islandis mostly pastoral with red soil, white sand, and scattered communities. Known as the "Garden of the Gulf", the island is located in theGulf of Saint Lawrencenorth ofNova Scotiaand east ofNew Brunswick,with which it forms theNorthumberland Strait.
Overview
[edit]
Prince Edward Island(PEI) consists of the capital cityCharlottetown,as well as urban townsCornwallandStratfordand a developingurban fringe.A smaller urban area surrounds Summerside Harbour, situated on the southern shore 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Charlottetown Harbour, and consists primarily of the city ofSummerside.As with all natural harbours on the island, Charlottetown and Summerside harbours are created byrias.(See also alist of communities in Prince Edward Island.) Thehighest point of landis located at Springton in Queens County, rising 152 metres (499 ft) above sea level.
The island's landscape is pastoral; rolling hills, pristine forests, white sand beaches, ocean coves and the red soil have given PEI a reputation as a province of outstanding natural beauty.[citation needed]A number of laws have been passed by the provincial government to attempt to preserve the landscape through regulation, although the lack of consistent enforcement and absence of province-widezoningandland-useplanning has resulted in some unsightly development in recent years.
The island's lush landscape has had a strong bearing on the island's culture. During the lateVictorian Era,authorLucy Maud Montgomeryused the island as the setting of her novelAnne of Green Gables.Today, the island attracts tourists in all seasons, with popular leisure attractions includingbeaches,golfcourses, andeco-tourism.
Communities
[edit]Most rural communities on Prince Edward Island are based onsmall-scale agriculture,and the average size of farm properties less than other areas in Canada. There is an increasing amount of industrial farming as older farm properties are consolidated and modernized.
Coastline
[edit]The coastline of the island consists of a combination of longbeaches,dunes,redsandstonecliffs, saltwatermarshesand numerous bays andharbours.The beaches, dunes and sandstone cliffs consist of sedimentary rock and other material with a highironconcentration whichoxidizesupon exposure to the air. The geological properties of white silica sand found atBasin Headare unique in the province; the sand grains cause a scrubbing noise as they rub against each other under pressure. Largedunefields on the north shore can be found on barrier islands at the entrances to various bays and harbours. The sand dunes atGreenwichhave a shifting,parabolic dunesystem that is home to a variety of birds and rare plants and is also a site of significantarchaeologicalinterest.
Climate
[edit]The climate of the island is a maritime climate considered to be moderate and strongly influenced by the surrounding seas.[2][3]As such, it is milder than inland locations owing to the warm waters from theGulf of St. Lawrence.[4]The climate is characterized by changeable weather throughout the year; it has some of the most variable day-to-day weather in Canada, in which specific weather conditions seldom last for long.[3]
During July and August, the average daytime high in PEI is 23 °C (73 °F); however, the temperature can sometimes exceed 30 °C (86 °F) during these months. In the winter months of January and February, the average daytime high is −3.3 °C (26 °F). The Island receives an average yearly rainfall of 855 millimetres (33.7 in) and an average yearly snowfall of 2,850 millimetres (112 in).
Winters are moderately cold and long but are milder than inland locations, with clashes of cold Arctic air and milder Atlantic air causing frequent temperature swings.[3]The climate is considered to be morehumid continental climatethanoceanicsince the Gulf of St. Lawrence freezes over, thus eliminating any moderation.[3]The mean temperature is −7 °C (19 °F) in January.[4]During the winter months, the island usually has many storms (which may produce rain as well as snow) and blizzards since during this time, storms originating from the North Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico frequently pass through.[3]Springtime temperatures typically remain cool until the sea ice has melted, usually in late April or early May.
Summers are moderately warm, but rarely uncomfortable, with the daily maximum temperature only occasionally reaching as high as 30 °C (86 °F). Autumn is a pleasant season, as the moderating Gulf waters delay the onset of frost, although storm activity increases compared to the summer. There is ample precipitation throughout the year, although it is heaviest in the late autumn, early winter and mid spring.
The following climate chart depicts the average conditions ofCharlottetown,as an example of the small province's climate.
| Climate data forCharlottetown Airport,1981–2010 normals, extremes 1872–present[a] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.1 (59.2) |
13.3 (55.9) |
24.5 (76.1) |
26.7 (80.1) |
31.7 (89.1) |
32.2 (90.0) |
33.9 (93.0) |
36.7 (98.1) |
31.5 (88.7) |
27.8 (82.0) |
21.3 (70.3) |
16.7 (62.1) |
36.7 (98.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −3.4 (25.9) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
0.9 (33.6) |
7.2 (45.0) |
14.3 (57.7) |
19.4 (66.9) |
23.3 (73.9) |
22.8 (73.0) |
18.6 (65.5) |
12.3 (54.1) |
6.3 (43.3) |
0.5 (32.9) |
9.9 (49.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −7.7 (18.1) |
−7.3 (18.9) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
3.1 (37.6) |
9.2 (48.6) |
14.5 (58.1) |
18.7 (65.7) |
18.3 (64.9) |
14.1 (57.4) |
8.3 (46.9) |
2.9 (37.2) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
5.7 (42.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −12.1 (10.2) |
−11.7 (10.9) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
4.1 (39.4) |
9.6 (49.3) |
14.1 (57.4) |
13.7 (56.7) |
9.6 (49.3) |
4.4 (39.9) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
1.3 (34.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −32.8 (−27.0) |
−30.6 (−23.1) |
−27.2 (−17.0) |
−16.1 (3.0) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
2.8 (37.0) |
2.0 (35.6) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−17.2 (1.0) |
−28.1 (−18.6) |
−32.8 (−27.0) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 101.0 (3.98) |
83.2 (3.28) |
86.3 (3.40) |
83.7 (3.30) |
91.0 (3.58) |
98.8 (3.89) |
79.9 (3.15) |
95.7 (3.77) |
95.9 (3.78) |
112.2 (4.42) |
112.5 (4.43) |
118.1 (4.65) |
1,158.2 (45.60) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 34.1 (1.34) |
29.8 (1.17) |
44.1 (1.74) |
59.7 (2.35) |
87.2 (3.43) |
98.8 (3.89) |
79.9 (3.15) |
95.7 (3.77) |
95.9 (3.78) |
110.3 (4.34) |
93.0 (3.66) |
58.6 (2.31) |
887.1 (34.93) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 73.3 (28.9) |
58.3 (23.0) |
44.1 (17.4) |
24.4 (9.6) |
3.7 (1.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.7 (0.7) |
19.2 (7.6) |
65.6 (25.8) |
290.4 (114.3) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 19.3 | 15.7 | 15.9 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 13.2 | 12.6 | 11.7 | 12.8 | 15.0 | 16.9 | 19.8 | 182.4 |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 6.3 | 5.0 | 7.5 | 11.6 | 13.8 | 13.2 | 12.6 | 11.7 | 12.8 | 14.6 | 13.0 | 8.6 | 130.8 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.2 cm) | 17.3 | 13.7 | 12.2 | 6.4 | 0.93 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.03 | 1.0 | 6.4 | 15.3 | 73.2 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 108.9 | 109.1 | 141.3 | 148.2 | 197.1 | 219.8 | 253.6 | 219.0 | 181.0 | 123.9 | 62.9 | 75.8 | 1,840.5 |
| Percentpossible sunshine | 38.8 | 37.6 | 38.3 | 36.5 | 42.5 | 46.6 | 53.2 | 49.9 | 47.9 | 36.5 | 22.1 | 28.1 | 39.8 |
| Source:Environment Canada[5][6][7][8][9] | |||||||||||||
See also
[edit]
Notes
[edit]- ^Extreme high and low temperatures in the table below are from Charlottetown (April 1872 to December 1934), Charlottetown CDA (January 1935 to March 1943), and Charlottetown Airport (April 1943 to present).
References
[edit]- ^"Prince Edward Island High Point, Prince Edward Island".Peakbagger.Retrieved27 January2023.
- ^"Prince Edward Island".The Canadian Encyclopedia.Archivedfrom the original on 8 June 2019.Retrieved1 September2019.
- ^abcde"The Climate of Prince Edward Island".The Climates of Canada.Environment Canada. Archived fromthe originalon 20 September 2008.Retrieved7 June2015.
- ^ab"Climate and Weather".Government of Prince Edward Island.Archivedfrom the original on 14 June 2015.Retrieved7 June2015.
- ^"Canadian Climate Normals 1971-2000".Environment Canada.Archived fromthe originalon 13 May 2013.Retrieved5 October2012.
- ^"Charlottetown A".Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010.Environment Canada.25 September 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 28 July 2019.Retrieved9 April2016.
- ^"Charlottetown".Canadian Climate Data.Environment Canada.31 October 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 14 October 2018.Retrieved29 February2016.
- ^"Charlottetown CDA".Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000.Environment Canada.31 October 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 20 April 2016.Retrieved9 April2016.
- ^"March 2012".Canadian Climate Data.Environment Canada.31 October 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 14 October 2018.Retrieved9 June2016.
External links
[edit]Geography of theprovinces and territoriesofCanada | |
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| See also | |
