I.

Introduction

Halifax (Nova Scotia), city, capital of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Halifax is built around Halifax Harbour, the world’s second largest natural harbor, which offers a protected, deepwater, ice-free anchorage for international shipping. Halifax Harbour is one of Canada’s busiest ports. In 1996 Halifax merged with the former city of Dartmouth and other neighboring municipalities to form the Halifax Regional Municipality. This merger made it the largest urban center in Canada’s Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Halifax is a regional center for trade, industry, government, and cultural activity. The city also has a strong military presence, largely as a result of being home port for Canada’s east coast navy and coast guard. Halifax possesses a relatively mild but damp climate, with an average daily temperature range from 0° C (32° F) to -9° C (16° F) in January and from 23° C (74° F) to 13° C (56° F) in July. Typically it rains or snows 170 days of the year, and in spring the city is frequently blanketed in fog.