Canadian provincial capital
About Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax, officially the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), is the capital and most populous municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. It consists of four former municipalities that were amalgamated in 1996: Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, and Halifax County.
Etymology
The area was called "Chebucto" until Halifax was established by Governor Edward Cornwallis in 1749, named in honour of George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax. The Mi'kmaq name for the harbour around which Halifax exists is K'jipuktuk or Chebookt, meaning "Chief Harbour" or "Great Harbour" in the Mi'kmaq language. Additionally, the Mi'kmaq referred to the area of the Halifax Peninsula comprising the downtown area and Point Pleasant Park as Amntu'kati, while the hillside where Halifax was established was referred to as "Goo-ow-ak-a-de" according to Thomas Raddall, meaning "place of many pines".
History
Before 1749, when a British colonial settlement was established at Halifax, the Colony of Nova Scotia had been administered from Annapolis Royal, near the Western opening of the Bay of Fundy. However, in 1749, King George II ordered Edward Cornwallis to establish Halifax as a new capital. Equipped with 13 transports and a sloop of war, Cornwallis founded the Town of Halifax on what is now known as the Halifax Peninsula, on June 21, 1749. The establishment of Halifax marked the beginning of Father Le Loutre's War, as the Mi'kmaq viewed it as violating a treaty they signed with British colonial authorities in 1727 following the end of Father Rale's War. Cornwallis brought along 1,176 settlers and their families. …
Geography
Halifax has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), with warm summers and relatively mild winters, which is due to Gulf Stream moderation. The weather is usually milder in the winter or cooler in the summer than areas at similar latitudes inland, with the temperature remaining (with occasional notable exceptions) between about −8 and 28 °C (18 and 82 °F). January is the coldest month, being the only month with a high that is slightly below freezing at −0.1 °C (31.8 °F), while August is the warmest. The sea heavily influences the climate of the area, causing significant seasonal lag in summer, with August being significantly warmer than June and with September being the third mildest month in terms of mean temperature. Hurricane Juan, a category 2 storm, hit in September 2003 and caused considerable damage to the region. Hurricane Earl grazed the coast as a category 1 storm in 2010. …
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