Nova Scotia was a former French colony known as Acadia until captured by Britain in 1710. It was ceded to the United States as part of the British Cession in 1815-16 following the Treaty of London and the Treaty of Rouen. As a populous colony and close to key American ports, Nova Scotia flourished in the late 1810s and early 1820s and was admitted as the 24th state in 1823. Nova Scotia's economy was primarily fishing and shipping-based, and partly agricultural until the late 19th century, when it became one of the hubs for the United States' Atlantic fleet. As the mainland United States' easternmost state, Nova Scotia also became an important landing point for European immigrants during this time, and is reflected in its diverse population, with many Irish, Polish, Italian and Russian desc