Nova Scotia Map

Description: This map shows cities, towns, villages, province capital, islands, rivers, lakes, highways, and major roads in Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia occupies the southeastern region of Canada as one of the country's four Atlantic provinces. The province encompasses the Nova Scotia peninsula and Cape Breton Island, covering a total area of 21,345 square miles (55,284 square kilometers), with land accounting for 20,441 square miles (52,942 square kilometers) and water comprising 904 square miles (2,342 square kilometers). The Atlantic Ocean borders Nova Scotia to the east and south, while the Bay of Fundy lies to the west and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the north. The province connects to New Brunswick via the narrow Chignecto Isthmus, making New Brunswick its only land border. Maritime boundaries separate Nova Scotia from Prince Edward Island to the north and Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast.

As of 2025, Nova Scotia's population reaches approximately 1,093,000 residents, making it the most populous province in Atlantic Canada and the seventh most populous in the country. The province ranks as Canada's second most densely populated province with approximately 18.3 people per square kilometer (47.4 per square mile). Halifax serves as both the provincial capital and largest city, with a metropolitan population exceeding 440,000 residents—nearly half of the province's total population. Other significant urban centers include Cape Breton (97,398 residents), Truro (12,261), and Sydney, which functions as the primary city on Cape Breton Island.

The provincial economy traditionally relied on natural resources, particularly fishing along the Scotian Shelf, though recent decades have brought significant diversification. The 2020 gross domestic product totaled 46.8 billion Canadian dollars. Key economic sectors include agriculture (concentrated in the Annapolis Valley), fishing and seafood processing (especially lobster, scallops, and crab), forestry, offshore oil and gas extraction, manufacturing (with Michelin operating three major facilities), information technology, defense and aerospace, and financial services. The tourism industry contributes approximately 3.5 billion dollars annually to the economy, with over 2 million non-resident visitors in 2024.

Tourism centers on Nova Scotia's dramatic coastal scenery, maritime heritage, and historic sites. Major attractions include Peggy's Cove, home to Canada's most photographed lighthouse built in 1914; the Cabot Trail, a 300-kilometer scenic highway through Cape Breton Highlands National Park; Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving 18th and 19th-century British colonial architecture; the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, an 18th-century military fortress overlooking Halifax Harbour; Kejimkujik National Park, offering wilderness canoeing and hiking; the Bay of Fundy, featuring the world's highest tides; and the Fortress of Louisbourg, Canada's largest historical reconstruction depicting French colonial life from 1713 to 1758. The province's 7,600 kilometers of coastline provide numerous beaches, fishing villages, and opportunities for whale watching, with twelve whale species frequenting coastal waters.

List of Cities, Towns, and Villages in Nova Scotia

Main sights in Nova Scotia

References