Charlottetown

Capital and main port of Prince Edward Island, Canada, situated on the south side of the island on Hillsborough Bay; population (2001 est) 32,200. Charlottetown was incorporated as a city in 1995 and serves as the administrative headquarters of Queens County. It trades in textiles, fish, timber, vegetables, and dairy produce; the main activities are food-processing, provincial administration, and tourism.

Charlottetown was founded by French settlers in the 1720s and incorporated in 1875. The Charlottetown Conference of the Maritime Provinces, held here in 1864, eventually led to the unification of Canada. It is the home of the University of Prince Edward Island (1969), which was formed from a merger between Prince of Wales College and St Dunstan's University; it also includes the Atlantic Veterinary College.