Atlantic Canada consists of Newfoundland and the three Maritime Provinces New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. This regional concept became possible in 1948 when Newfoundland, a British Colony voted to join the Canadian Confederation. Compared to its neighbors in the central Canadian provinces of Ottawa and Quebec, or the New England states it is sparsely populated. It is relatively less wealthy and often served as a source of raw materials for more distant populations. The second industrial revolution passed it by as most of the capital and population remained to the south and west. While there will always be regional differences within the four provinces, there is also a difference in how the three Maritime provinces and Newfoundland were settled. The Maritimes were historically much more integrated into the economy of New England and the rest of British North America. They joined the Canadian Confederation at the start. Newfoundland being closer to Europe and more removed from mainland Canada tended to look back east to Britain for support and trade. It remained a British colony until 1949. And while there might be a faint echo of these distant attachments, over time and the passing of these last sixty years Atlantic Canada has become a place and not just a name on the map.