Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. It is located at the eastern tip of the island, with the Confederation Bridge connecting it to the mainland. Charlottetown is the primary urban centre of the province and is the seat of government, home to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island and the headquarters of many provincial government departments. It is also the largest city in the Maritime Provinces.
Charlottetown was founded in 1765 by the British as a planned community to foster loyalty to the British Crown and to prevent French expansion into the region. Its downtown core is located on a narrow peninsula flanked by the Northumberland Strait and the Hillsborough River. The city has a significant Irish population; the original town plan was based on Dublin, Ireland.
