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- Island forming the northern part of the
- province of Nova Scotia, Canada; area 10,282
- sq km/3,970 sq mi; population (1988) 170,000.
- Bisected by a waterway, it has road and rail
- links with the mainland across the Strait of
- Canso. It has coal resources and steelworks,
- and there has been substantial development in
- the strait area, with docks, oil refineries,
- and newsprint production from local timber.
- In the N, the surface rises to 550 m/1,800 ft
- at North Cape, and the coast has many fine
- harbours. There are cod fisheries. The
- climate is mild and very moist. The chief
- towns are Sydney and Glace Bay. history The
- first British colony was established in 1629
- but was driven out by the French. In 1763
- Cape Breton was ceded to Britain and attached
- to Nova Scotia 1763-84 and from 1820.
-