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Victoria County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.
Named after Queen Victoria, it was established by statute in 1851. Cape Breton County was divided into two counties in that year, with Victoria County being subdivided at that time. The shire town and largest municipality is the village of Baddeck.
Regions: There are several distinctive geographic regions in Victoria county: north of Smokey Mountain, south of Smokey Mountain, St. Ann's Bay, Boularderie Island, Baddeck, Middle River and the Washabuck Peninsula. The county is 2,768 square kilometers in size, 80% of which is covered by forest and the remainder largely by water.
Demographics: The county contained 7,962 people in 2001. The population has slowly declined over the last ten years. The population has also aged, with all age groups under the age of 65 experiencing net out-migration. Half of the county's labor force does not have a high school diploma, and only 5% have college educations.
Economy: 71% of the workforce is employed in the services sector. An additional 18% are employed in the primary resources industry, a category that includes both forestry and fishing. Just 11% are employed in manufacturing, less than half of the levels seen in the 1960s.
Politics and Government: The county is administered by a county government which is incorporated as the Municipality of the County of Victoria. The county is governed by eight councillors and a warden who oversee the work of a Chief Administrative Officer.
Notable Features: Victoria County contains the eastern half of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, as well as the Cabot Trail, whereas Inverness County contains the western half of these features. The county also contains St. Paul Island, known as the "Graveyard of the Gulf of St. Lawrence" for its many shipwrecks during the age of sail.
External links
"Victoria County, Nova Scotia"