New Brunswick is one of the 13 provinces and territories of Canada and is located on the east coast of Canada.
It is one of the four provinces that form Atlantic Canada.
New Brunswick is bordered on the north by Quebec, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Bay of Fundy, and on the west by the US state of Maine. The southeast corner of the province is connected to Nova Scotia at the isthmus of Chignecto.
As of April 2019, the population of New Brunswick was estimated to be about 750,000 people. It is the 8th most populous province in Canada.
New Brunswick is the 11th largest province in Canada in terms of total area with 72,907 square kilometers (28,150 square miles).
New Brunswick has a roughly rectangular shape, about 340 kilometers (210 miles) from north to south and 300 kilometers (185 miles) from east to west.
Fredericton is the capital of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city.
New Brunswick lies entirely within the Appalachian Mountains, a chain of ancient, eroded mountains which have created river valleys and low, gently rolling hills throughout large parts of the province.
At 817 meters (2,680 feet), Mount Carleton, in Mount Carleton Provincial Park is the highest peak in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, and the Maritime Provinces. It is one of the highlights of the Canadian portion of the International Appalachian Trail.
About 83% of New Brunswick is forested.
New Brunswick has 2 national parks and 16 provincial parks.
The Bay of Fundy is a bay on the Atlantic coast of North America, on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the US state of Maine. The Bay of Fundy is home to the world’s highest tides at some times of the year the difference between high and low tide in this Bay is 16.3 meters (53.5 feet), taller than a three-story building.
The Bay of Fundy attracts as many as 12 species of whales and other marine animals, who gather here in the summer to have their young and to feed on the abundant krill and fish brought in by the Fundy tides. Three different companies in St Andrews — Island Quest Marine Whale and Wildlife Cruises, Fundy Tide Runners and Jolly Breeze Tall Ship — offer a variety of whale watching experiences that range from zodiacs to a fully rigged sailing ship.
Fundy National Park is located on the Bay of Fundy. The Park showcases a rugged coastline which rises up to the Canadian Highlands, the highest tides in the world and more than 25 waterfalls. The Park covers an area of 207 square kilometers (80 square miles) along Goose Bay, the northwestern branch of the Bay of Fundy. When one looks across the Bay, they can see the northern Nova Scotia coast.
Kouchibouguac National Park is located on the east coast of New Brunswick. The park includes barrier islands, sand dunes, lagoons, salt marshes and forests. It provides habitat for seabirds, including the endangered piping plover, and the second largest tern colony in North America. Colonies of harbour seals and grey seals also inhabit the park’s 25 kilometres (16 miles) of sand dunes.
Indigenous peoples have been present in the area which is today New Brunswick since about 7000 BC.
Being relatively close to Europe, New Brunswick was among the first places in North America to be explored and settled by Europeans, starting with the French in the early 1600s, who displaced the indigenous Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, and the Passamaquoddy peoples.
Chartered by King George III, the province was named for the royal house of Brunswick, and its capital, Fredericton, was named for King George III’s son Frederick.
It was one of the four original provinces making up the national confederation in 1867.
It is Canada’s only officially bilingual province, French and English having equal status.