Geography

It is not surprising that Nova Scotia, as the most easterly point on the North American mainland, has been for centurie's the first stop for many vessels crossing from Europe. This trend continues today, along with arrivals through various modes of transportation from around the world.The sea virtually surrounds the province and its 936,988 residents. Nova Scotia is bounded by the Northumberland Strait and the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the south and the Bay of Fundy to the west. The only land boundary is the Isthmus of Chignecto, shared with New Brunswick.
The rolling hills and fertile valleys of the province complement the craggy shoreline indented by thousands of bays and inlets containing over 3,800 coastal islands. The influence of the sea means a moderate climate, featuring warm, comfortable summers and pleasant autumns, resulting in extensive use of the province's network of parks, hiking trails, wildlife sanctuaries, streams, waterfalls, lakes and more. In addition, history, culture, entertainment and fine dining are never far away in Nova Scotia.
In the north, the Cape Breton Highlands plummet seaward, and the Highlands National Park contains one of the most spectacular driving routes in the world. In the south, Kejimkujik National Park provides visitors a chance to really "get away from it all". Home to many lakes and islands, this vast wilderness allows canoe trips and camping on uninhabited islands - a far cry from the luxury hotels in the twin cities of Halifax and Dartmouth.
Rocky coves and white sandy beaches dominate the eastern shore coastline and the rugged south shore menaced ships in early days. The world famous Peggy's Cove lighthouse warns mariners of the hazardous, however spectacular, outcrop of granite on which it stands. On the Bay of Fundy and the Minas Basin, the highest tides in the world have a profound effect on the seascape, while the waters of the Northumberland Strait are the warmest north of the Carolinas.
Many sports and recreational activities make the most of Nova Scotia's spectacular scenery. Sailing, cycling, river rafting, kayaking and canoeing all offer a first hand glimpse of the beauty of the province. Nova Scotia is also home to some of the world's best salmon fishing, diving and deep sea fishing. Increasingly popular eco-tourism takes visitors to some of the isolated, most beautiful areas of the province, allowing them to appreciate its diverse wildlife population close up. Tourism has a significant economic impact on the province's economy. Total tourism receipts in 1993 exceeded $800 million, with the industry generating over 33,000 direct and spin-off jobs.

The Labour Market

Between 1999 and 2004, Nova Scotia’s total employment gain, for the population15 and over, was 9.5% or 38,200 new jobs in the province. The employment growth in the province was driven primarily by large increases in a few, mainly service related, industries and a significant increase in labour participation rate from 60.8% in 1999 to 64.1% in2004. The participation rate in Nova Scotia appears to have plateaued in2004 at 64.1%. This is the highest rate ever been in the province.

An Atmosphere for Business

Common Statistics
Employment	446,100	April 2006
CPI	2.4%	April 2006
Income (per capita)	$28,114	2005
GDP ($millions)	$31,451	2005

Nova Scotia's location makes it uniquely suited for industry and trade. Harbour facilities, modern highways, air transportation, industrial parks, research and education facilities and skilled labour all contribute to providing a strong and varied environment for business.Built on the resource based mining, fishing and forestry industries, the diverse Nova Scotia economy now stands at the forefront of the new economic age, featuring high technology manufacturing, information technology, aerospace, medical and ocean research, the film industry and tourism.
During the five-year period 1999-2004,the province’s economy experienced a healthy growth due to the expansion in the private sector, with approximately ten percent growth in mining and oil and gas extraction (due to introduction of natural gas in 1999-2000) and in administrative, support and waste management services (due to advent of call centers and recycling activities).
Significant growth was also observed in information and cultural industries, professional, scientific and technical, services and retail trade sector. Construction, utilities, arts, entertaining and recreation, accommodation and foodx@ services, educational services and public administration all experienced less than two percent real GDP growth during the same time period.
The Nova Scotia economy is predominantly service-based. The Province’s services sector is proportionally larger than that of Canada. In 2004, 76.5% of the provincial economy was within the services sector, compared to 68.3% for Canada.
From 1999 to 2004 the provincial economy expanded by 13.6%. The services sector, in general, outperformed the goods producing sector during this time period.

Business Statistics

Business Statistics		As of	June 2005
Retail $	$2,805.2	Mar 2006	Year-to-date, Millions, NAICS 2002, S.A.
Wholesale $	$1,567.6	Mar 2006	Year-to-date, Millions, NAICS 2002, S.A.
COnstruction	$233.0	Mar 2006	Building Permits--Year-to-date, millions, S.A.
Imports	$6,590	Dec 2005	Year-to-date, Millions
Exports	$5,680	Dec 2005	Year-to-date, Millions (Domestic)
Re-Exports	$149.3	Dec 2005	Year-to-date, Millions
Information Technology	$1,192.0	Dec 2002	Millions, GDP 1997$
Culture	21,765	Dec 1996	Total Employment
Tourism	$1.3	Dec 2004	Tourism Receipts in Billions

Transportation

Given its strategic geographic location, Nova Scotia serves as an important transportation and trade gateway to the vast North American marketplace.
The Port of Halifax, with its deep-water harbour and two modern container terminals, is capable of accommodating the largest container ships which regularly ply between the port and Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Australia. Other provincial deep-water ports, capable of handling the world's largest supertankers, are located near Sydney and at the Strait of Canso. Nova Scotia's ports are connected to the North American continent by efficient rail services operated by CN North America and the Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway, a recently established short line operator. CN operates daily double-stack services from Halifax, and recently opened the Halifax Intermodal Terminal to handle domestic double-stack container traffic. The port also has a major autoport facility.
Ediport Atlantic, a consortium of firms and public sector offices responsible for shipping through the Port of Halifax, has developed a unique electronic management and tracking system for cargo shipped through the port. This $2.2 million project gives Halifax a significant advantage over other North American ports. Major airports are located in Halifax, Sydney and Yarmouth, with the Halifax International Airport serving as the "hub" airport for the entire Atlantic region, providing direct connections throughout North America, as well as with Europe and beyond. A modern highway system links all parts of the province, with year-round ferry services providing connections to Maine, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.