Guinness World Records points to Halifax as being the finishing point for the fastest cycling trip across Canada traversing 3,751 miles (6,037 kilometers) in 13 days, 6 hours and 13 minutes. Canadian Arvid Loewen achieved this record from July 1 to 14, 2011.
Halifax was the site of another world record on August 9, 2015, when Canadian Greg Austin Doucette deadlifted 20,128 pounds (9,130 kilograms) in one minute.
Halifax serves as headquarters for three of Canada’s 500 largest corporations by revenue: Bell Aliant Regional Communications, energy and services company Emera Incorporated and the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission.
Nova Scotia shipped C$5.2 billion worth of goods around the globe during 2016. Highest-value Nova Scotian exports are rubber, lobsters, live horses, poultry, woodpulp, plastics, and iron or steel according to the Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database.
According to the January 2017 Halifax Economic Report, Halifax’s unemployment rate was 6.1% in 2016 down from 6.3% one year earlier.
Capital Facts for Halifax, Canada: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk, Harbourside Market, HMCS Sackville, Hydrostone Market, Nova Scotia Museum and Scotiabank Centre
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Halifax, Canada
- Sidney Crosby, professional NHL hockey star (born Aug. 7, 1987)
- Ellie Black, Olympic gymnastics finalist (born Sep. 8, 1995)
- Ellen Page, actress (born Feb. 21, 1987)
- John Paul Tremblay, comedy series co-creator & actor (born Jan. 1, 1968)
- Steve Lund, actor (born Jan. 9, 1989)
- Leslie Hope, actress (born May 6, 1965)
- Ty Olsson, actor & movie voice performer (born Jan. 28, 1974)
- Ian Millar, Olympic silver medal equestrian (born Jan. 6, 1947)
- Steve Poltz, rock singer (born Feb. 19, 1960)
- Kirk Johnson, Olympic heavyweight boxer (born Jun. 20, 1972)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches of published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Halifax resident: Haligonian
Population: 403,131 (Halifax city limits)
Density: 4,448 people per square mile (1,717 per square kilometer)
Population: 403,390 (Metropolitan Halifax)
Density: 190 people per square mile (73 per square kilometer)
Financial
GDP: C$18.7 billion in 2016 (Metropolitan Halifax)
GDP per person: $46,303
Note: The above GDP metrics are 2007-based and are in Canadian dollars.
Official currency used in Halifax: Canadian dollars
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data). Accessed on May 17, 2017
Fortune, Global 500 2016. Accessed on May 17, 2017
Halifax Partnership, Halifax Economic Report, January 2017. Accessed on May 17, 2017
Guinness World Records, Fastest time to cycle trans-Canada. Accessed on May 17, 2017
Guinness World Records, Heaviest sumo deadlift in one minute. Accessed on May 17, 2017
National Post, The FP500. Accessed on May 17, 2017
National Post, The FP500: 2014. Accessed on May 17, 2017
Official Government Website, City of Halifax official website. Accessed on May 17, 2017
Statistics Canada, Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database. Accessed on May 17, 2017
Statistics Canada, Labour force characteristics, unadjusted, by census metropolitan area. Accessed on May 17, 2017
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags. Accessed on May 17, 2017
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Nova Scotia. Accessed on May 17, 2017
Wikipedia, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Accessed on May 17, 2017
Within city limits, Halifax occupies 90.63 square miles (234.72 square kilometers). The provincial capital city’s population was 403,131 people in 2016.
The urban concentration surrounding Halifax Harbour encompassing Halifax Peninsula, Dartmouth’s core plus the Bedford-Sackville areas, Metropolitan Halifax covers a land area of 2,122.1 square miles (5,496.3 square kilometers) with a capital area population of 403,390 inhabitants.
At the city level, Halifax’s population density is 4,448 residents per square mile (1,717 per square kilometer).
Population density dilutes within the much larger Metropolitan Halifax land area with an average 190 inhabitants per square mile (73 per square kilometer).
Haligonians celebrate Canada Day as a national holiday each July 1.