Canada Historical Geography: Difference between revisions

This section describes changes in the county structure of [[Canada|Canada]] and jurisdictions used in the Family History Library Catalog. This will help you use the catalog to find records of the place your family lived. For help using an online database, [http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/index_e.php Canadian Geographical Names Data Base], click [[Geographical Names of Canada|here]].  

== The Regions and Provinces of Canada ==

Research procedures and genealogical sources are different for each province in Canada. Modern Canada is divided politically into ten provinces and two territories. The provinces are sometimes grouped, east to west, as follows:  

'''Maritime Provinces''': Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. When Newfoundland is added, these provinces are called the Atlantic Provinces.  

'''Central Provinces''': Quebec and Ontario.  

'''Prairie Provinces''': Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.  

'''West Coast Province''': British Columbia.  

'''Yukon Territory''': Land north of British Columbia.  

'''Northwest Territories''': Land north of the Prairie Provinces, the Arctic islands, and the islands of Hudson Bay.  

In this outline, eastern provinces generally refers to the Atlantic Provinces, Quebec, and Ontario. Western provinces are the Prairie Provinces and British Columbia.  

British North America is the name used for the colonies that remained in British hands between 1783 (the acknowledgment of United States independence) and 1867 (the creation of the Dominion of Canada). Those colonies had separate economic and political systems and developed individual land settlement patterns, government institutions, and traditions. Many differences remained when the colonies were brought together as provinces of Canada beginning in 1867.  

Upper Canada was the name used for Ontario between 1791 and 1841. Quebec was called Lower Canada during the same period. Between 1841 and 1867, Ontario was called Canada West, and Quebec was called Canada East.  

The Family History Library Catalog uses Canadian jurisdictions as of 1960. You may need to determine previous boundaries and jurisdictions to find your ancestors’ records. Gazetteers and histories can help you find these changes. See "[[Canada History|History]]" and "[[Canada Gazetteers|Gazetteers]]."