Smallest Can. Province

Perhaps you were a fan of Anne of Green Gables fame – and perhaps not, but in any case, the answer to the above clue is P.E.I. or Prince Edward Island.  It is indeed the smallest of the Canadian provinces, and is one of the three maritime provinces, and the only one with no land boundary — “I’ll take Canadian Provinces for $2000, Alex!”  While it is the smallest province, it is also one of the oldest, and its immigrant population reflects this with its Anglo-Saxon and French history being found in its current inhabitants.

It is named for Prince Edward (who would have thought it?), the fourth son of King George III and the father of Queen Victoria.  Its capital is Charlottetown, and the countryside is largely pastoral which inspired Lucy Maud Montgomery in her novel, Anne of Green Gables.

Now, perhaps you’re a fan of Jeopardy as I am, and since Alex Trebek is a famous Canadian, the topic of Canada is a frequent one.  I know all fifty U. S. states and their capitals, but all of those Canadian provinces?  I have to admit, that I falter in the middle, and fudge my way to the east.  So, here is a mnemonic to help us all:

Billy And Sally Made Our Queen Nervous Playing NearNeedles

Did that help?  Probably not, since I don’t have the provinces beneath them, so here goes that string:

British Columbia / Alberta / Saskatchewan / Manitoba / Ontario / Quebec / New Brunswick / Prince Edward Island / Nova Scotia / Newfoundland

Pull that one out at your next cocktail party!

South Pacific Island nation that’s only 8.1 square miles

Now if you do crosswords frequently, this clue will ring a bell – the island is Nauru.  While The Republic of Nauru is its official name, it was formerly known as Pleasant Island – what a great tourist name!

Its chief economic boost comes from phosphate and its mining, so the vegetation one might expect on such an island in the south Pacific is somewhat lacking.  It is basically a phosphate rock, so it was ripe for strip mining, and during the 1960’s and 70’s it boasted one of the highest per-capita incomes by a sovereign state, but of course, the resources were mostly depleted after that, so the economy has changed dramatically since then.

At one point, Nauru, to gain additional income, became a tax haven and even a money-laundering center.  Now they work with the government in Australia as a detention center.  While it has a police force, Nauru has no army and operates under the control of Australia in terms of its national defense.