PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK

New Brunswick is a province located in the east of Canada. It is one of the three so-called Maritime provinces and is the only officially bilingual (official languages are English and French) province of the Confederation. City of Fredericton is province’s capital. The largest city is Saint John. New Brunswick is located in the southeast of Canada, on the Atlantic coast.

The province is bordered by the province of Quebec to the north and north-west, by Nova Scotia to the southeast, and by the Maine State (US) to the south-west. The shores of New Brunswick are washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the east. The Prince Edward Island is separated from the continental New Brunswick by a 13-kilometer strait, the Abegweit Passage. However, the Confederation Bridge links the territories. Prince Edward Island is a separate province of Canada. New Brunswick in English transcription refers to “New Braunschweig”. Indian tribes inhabited contemporary province’s areas, before the arrival of the Europeans. There are several theories and assumptions (Vinland) that Vikings have also explored the area in ca. 1000. However, no archaeological evidence were found, unlike those discovered in Newfoundland.

The first visit recorded by Europeans has occurred in 1534 under the leadership of Jean Cartier. Next famous French visit, which marked the beginning of New France, was in spring 1604 under the Samuel de Champel’s command. The first European settlers in the area, were the Danes.

Almost the entire territory of New Brunswick province is covered by forests. The province is rich in minerals and natural resources. Potato is the major rural and economic crop, which is exported all over the country. The world’s longest covered wooden bridge, with a length of 390 meters is located in New Brunswick. Fredericton is the capital of the province of New Brunswick and a very beautiful city. The city is less exposed to immigration than most capitals of other Canadian provinces. However, its population is growing. The city is situated right where the river Nashwaak falls into Saint John River. The climate in the city is continental, softened by the Atlantic Ocean. The city offers many tourist attractions. A giant frog is the most famous of all. It weighs 19 kg. It is now placed in an alcoholic solution and displayed in the York-Sunbary Museum. The former owner of the frog is Fred Coleman, owner of a local hotel, who found the frog in 1885. At that time, its weight was 3.6 kg. He managed to fatten it up to huge sizes. You can buy a t-shirt with the image of this famous frog, in the museum.

A city park, as well as a place of military parades, called the Officer`s Square is particularly popular. The oldest English settlement in New Brunswick is Gatetown, located close to Fredericton. Nowadays, it is a village of artists and painters. Saint John, the largest city of the province, was founded in 1604 at the mouth of the Saint John River in the Bay of Fundy, known for its record-breaking tides. St. John was named in honor of St. John the Baptist. The city is known as producer of beer. Moosehead Beer is the most famous beer brand in Canada (since 1867). City of Moncton is a major transport hub in the west of the province. It is known for its unique natural phenomenon, the Magnetic Hill. Here, laws of gravitation are violated and all metal objects float in the air. Fundy National Park and Rock Provincial Park are favorite tourist destinations.