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Use of capitals with Atlantic provinces
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Question:
I am wondering if provinces in the phrase Atlantic provinces needs to be capitalized or not.
Answer:
The Canadian Style says to "Capitalize the names of…regions…and other official and specified political, administrative and geographical divisions…. " The key word here is "official."
Atlantic provinces is a conventional name, not an official one. The four provinces that make up the Atlantic provinces do not form a political or administrative division. Each province is an independent entity. The Canadian Style, the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, the Nelson Canadian Dictionary, the Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage and the Globe and Mail Style Guide all list Atlantic provinces with no capital. For example:
- We met many wonderful people while travelling through the Atlantic provinces last summer.
The one time it is correct to write Atlantic Provinces (with a capital) is in contexts where the provinces are viewed as a geographical division. For example, when you refer to the major regions of Canada, write the Atlantic Provinces, the Prairies, the West Coast, etc.
