<P> The backbone of the economy is farming; it produces 25% of Canada's potatoes . The island has several informal names: "Garden of the Gulf", referring to the pastoral scenery and lush agricultural lands throughout the province; and "Birthplace of Confederation" or "Cradle of Confederation", referring to the Charlottetown Conference in 1864, although PEI did not join Confederation until 1873, when it became the seventh Canadian province . Historically, PEI is one of Canada's older settlements and demographically still reflects older immigration to the country, with Celtic, English and French surnames being dominant to this day . </P> <P> PEI is located about 200 kilometres (120 miles) north of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and 600 kilometres (370 miles) east of Quebec City . It consists of the main island and 231 minor islands . Altogether, the entire province has a land area of 5,686.03 km (2,195.39 sq mi). The main island is 5,620 km (2,170 sq mi) in size, slightly larger than the U.S. state of Delaware . It is the 104th - largest island in the world and Canada's 23rd - largest island . PEI is the only subnational jurisdiction of North America outside the Caribbean to have no mainland territory, and the only such jurisdiction to have no land boundary, as the U.S. state of Hawaii is a part of Oceania, not North America . </P> <P> In 1798, the British named the island colony for Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (1767--1820), the fourth son of King George III and the father of Queen Victoria . Prince Edward has been called "Father of the Canadian Crown". The following island landmarks are also named after the Duke of Kent: </P> <Ul> <Li> Prince Edward Battery, Victoria Park, Charlottetown </Li> <Li> Kent College (Established in 1804 by Lieutenant Governor Edmund Fanning and his Legislative Council, the college would eventually become the University of Prince Edward Island), Charlottetown </Li> <Li> Kent Street, Charlottetown </Li> <Li> West Kent Elementary School </Li> <Li> Kent Street, Georgetown </Li> </Ul>

Where did prince edward island get its name