Nova Scotia is one of eastern Canada’s Maritime provinces on the Atlantic. Its capital is Halifax, and it is the second-smallest Canadian province by area. In Latin, the name means “New Scotland.” When European colonists arrived, Nova Scotia was inhabited by the Mi’kmaq people, who had lived there for centuries. Currently, the most commonly spoken languages are English and French, but Nova Scotia is also home to the largest Scottish-Gaelic-speaking community outside of Scotland.