Geography of Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island

The coast of Prince Edward Island around Cavendish
Geography
Location	Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Total islands	62
Major islands	1
Area	5,683.91 km2 (2,194.57 sq mi)
Highest elevation	140 m (460 ft) [1]
Highest point	Prince Edward Island high point
Administration
Canada
Province	Prince Edward Island
Largest settlement	Charlottetown (pop. 36,094 (2016))
Demographics
Population	142,907 (2016)
Pop. density	25.25/km2 (65.4/sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Scottish (38.0%), English (28.7%), Irish (27.9%), French (21.3%), German (4.0%), and Dutch (3.1%)

The geography of Prince Edward Island is mostly pastoral with red soil, white sand, and scattered communities. Known as the "Garden of the Gulf", the island is located in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence north of Nova Scotia and east of New Brunswick, with which it forms the Northumberland Strait.

Overview

Detailed map of Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island (PEI) consists of the capital city Charlottetown, as well as urban towns Cornwall and Stratford and a developing urban fringe. A smaller urban area surrounds Summerside Harbour, situated on the southern shore 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Charlottetown Harbour, and consists primarily of the city of Summerside. As with all natural harbours on the island, Charlottetown and Summerside harbours are created by rias. (See also a list of communities in Prince Edward Island.) The highest point of land is located at Springton in Queens County, rising 152 metres (499 ft) above sea level.

The island's landscape is pastoral; rolling hills, pristine forests, white sand beaches, ocean coves and the red soil have given PEI a reputation as a province of outstanding natural beauty.^{[ citation needed ]} A number of laws have been passed by the provincial government to attempt to preserve the landscape through regulation, although the lack of consistent enforcement and absence of province-wide zoning and land-use planning has resulted in some unsightly development in recent years.

The island's lush landscape has had a strong bearing on the island's culture. During the late Victorian Era, author Lucy Maud Montgomery used the island as the setting of her novel Anne of Green Gables . Today, the island attracts tourists in all seasons, with popular leisure attractions including beaches, golf courses, and eco-tourism.

Communities

Most rural communities on Prince Edward Island are based on small-scale agriculture, and the average size of farm properties less than other areas in Canada. There is an increasing amount of industrial farming as older farm properties are consolidated and modernized.

Coastline

The coastline of the island consists of a combination of long beaches, dunes, red sandstone cliffs, saltwater marshes and numerous bays and harbours. The beaches, dunes and sandstone cliffs consist of sedimentary rock and other material with a high iron concentration which oxidizes upon exposure to the air. The geological properties of white silica sand found at Basin Head are unique in the province; the sand grains cause a scrubbing noise as they rub against each other under pressure. Large dune fields on the north shore can be found on barrier islands at the entrances to various bays and harbours. The sand dunes at Greenwich have a shifting, parabolic dune system that is home to a variety of birds and rare plants and is also a site of significant archaeological interest.

Climate

The climate of the island is a maritime climate considered to be moderate and strongly influenced by the surrounding seas. ^{[2] [3]} As such, it is milder than inland locations owing to the warm waters from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. ^[4] The climate is characterized by changeable weather throughout the year; it has some of the most variable day-to-day weather in Canada, in which specific weather conditions seldom last for long. ^[3]

Because the Gulf of Saint Lawrence freezes over, the island's climate is similar to a continental climate as opposed to an oceanic climate.

During July and August, the average daytime high in PEI is 23 °C (73 °F); however, the temperature can sometimes exceed 30 °C (86 °F) during these months. In the winter months of January and February, the average daytime high is −3.3 °C (26 °F). The Island receives an average yearly rainfall of 855 millimetres (33.7 in) and an average yearly snowfall of 2,850 millimetres (112 in).

Winters are moderately cold and long but are milder than inland locations, with clashes of cold Arctic air and milder Atlantic air causing frequent temperature swings. ^[3] The climate is considered to be more humid continental climate than oceanic since the Gulf of St. Lawrence freezes over, thus eliminating any moderation. ^[3] The mean temperature is −7 °C (19 °F) in January. ^[4] During the winter months, the island usually has many storms (which may produce rain as well as snow) and blizzards since during this time, storms originating from the North Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico frequently pass through. ^[3] Springtime temperatures typically remain cool until the sea ice has melted, usually in late April or early May.

Summers are moderately warm, but rarely uncomfortable, with the daily maximum temperature only occasionally reaching as high as 30 °C (86 °F). Autumn is a pleasant season, as the moderating Gulf waters delay the onset of frost, although storm activity increases compared to the summer. There is ample precipitation throughout the year, although it is heaviest in the late autumn, early winter and mid spring.

The following climate chart depicts the average conditions of Charlottetown, as an example of the small province's climate.

Climate data for Charlottetown Airport, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1872–present [lower-alpha 1]
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	15.1 (59.2)	13.3 (55.9)	24.5 (76.1)	26.7 (80.1)	31.7 (89.1)	32.2 (90.0)	33.9 (93.0)	36.7 (98.1)	31.5 (88.7)	27.8 (82.0)	21.3 (70.3)	16.7 (62.1)	36.7 (98.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−3.4 (25.9)	−2.9 (26.8)	0.9 (33.6)	7.2 (45.0)	14.3 (57.7)	19.4 (66.9)	23.3 (73.9)	22.8 (73.0)	18.6 (65.5)	12.3 (54.1)	6.3 (43.3)	0.5 (32.9)	9.9 (49.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−7.7 (18.1)	−7.3 (18.9)	−3.1 (26.4)	3.1 (37.6)	9.2 (48.6)	14.5 (58.1)	18.7 (65.7)	18.3 (64.9)	14.1 (57.4)	8.3 (46.9)	2.9 (37.2)	−3.3 (26.1)	5.7 (42.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−12.1 (10.2)	−11.7 (10.9)	−7.0 (19.4)	−1.2 (29.8)	4.1 (39.4)	9.6 (49.3)	14.1 (57.4)	13.7 (56.7)	9.6 (49.3)	4.4 (39.9)	−0.5 (31.1)	−7.0 (19.4)	1.3 (34.3)
Record low °C (°F)	−32.8 (−27.0)	−30.6 (−23.1)	−27.2 (−17.0)	−16.1 (3.0)	−6.7 (19.9)	−1.1 (30.0)	2.8 (37.0)	2.0 (35.6)	−0.6 (30.9)	−6.7 (19.9)	−17.2 (1.0)	−28.1 (−18.6)	−32.8 (−27.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	101.0 (3.98)	83.2 (3.28)	86.3 (3.40)	83.7 (3.30)	91.0 (3.58)	98.8 (3.89)	79.9 (3.15)	95.7 (3.77)	95.9 (3.78)	112.2 (4.42)	112.5 (4.43)	118.1 (4.65)	1,158.2 (45.60)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	34.1 (1.34)	29.8 (1.17)	44.1 (1.74)	59.7 (2.35)	87.2 (3.43)	98.8 (3.89)	79.9 (3.15)	95.7 (3.77)	95.9 (3.78)	110.3 (4.34)	93.0 (3.66)	58.6 (2.31)	887.1 (34.93)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	73.3 (28.9)	58.3 (23.0)	44.1 (17.4)	24.4 (9.6)	3.7 (1.5)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	1.7 (0.7)	19.2 (7.6)	65.6 (25.8)	290.4 (114.3)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)	19.3	15.7	15.9	15.3	14.1	13.2	12.6	11.7	12.8	15.0	16.9	19.8	182.4
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm)	6.3	5.0	7.5	11.6	13.8	13.2	12.6	11.7	12.8	14.6	13.0	8.6	130.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm)	17.3	13.7	12.2	6.4	0.93	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.03	1.0	6.4	15.3	73.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours	108.9	109.1	141.3	148.2	197.1	219.8	253.6	219.0	181.0	123.9	62.9	75.8	1,840.5
Percent possible sunshine	38.8	37.6	38.3	36.5	42.5	46.6	53.2	49.9	47.9	36.5	22.1	28.1	39.8
Source: Environment Canada [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

See also

• Geography portal
• Canada portal

• List of parks in Prince Edward Island
• List of islands of Prince Edward Island

Notes

1. Extreme high and low temperatures in the table below are from Charlottetown (April 1872 to December 1934), Charlottetown CDA (January 1935 to March 1943), and Charlottetown Airport (April 1943 to present).

References

1. "Prince Edward Island High Point, Prince Edward Island". Peakbagger. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
2. "Prince Edward Island". The Canadian Encyclopedia . Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
3. "The Climate of Prince Edward Island". The Climates of Canada. Environment Canada. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
4. "Climate and Weather". Government of Prince Edward Island. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
5. "Canadian Climate Normals 1971-2000". Environment Canada. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
6. "Charlottetown A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. 25 September 2013. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
7. "Charlottetown". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. 31 October 2011. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
8. "Charlottetown CDA". Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000. Environment Canada. 31 October 2011. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
9. "March 2012". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. 31 October 2011. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2016.