Provinces of Canada - Coat of Arms

Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan are known as Canada’s prairie provinces. The Canadian prairies extend far into the United States. The combined land area of prairies in both countries added together exceed over 3,000,000 square kilometers. The prairies of Central Canada and those of the United States were created as a result of a rain shadow cast over the area by the formation of the Rocky Mountains. Moisture coming in from the Pacific fell west of the Rockies. The little rain falling on the eastern slope resulted in a vast stretch of grassland with limited trees. The prairies did receive enough precipitation to sustain the various grasses feeding the growing herds of bison. Several Native American tribes built a dependent relationship on the bison herds as a source for food, clothing, and shelter.

Provinces of Canada - Coat of Arms

New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island are Canada’s maritime provinces. Sometimes the province of Newfoundland and Labrador is included; it also borders the Atlantic Ocean. The first Europeans to cross the Atlantic and reach North America were the Vikings. They landed on the northern tip of Newfoundland and attempted to set up a permanent settlement in the Americas. The Vikings established, and briefly maintained, L'Anse aux Meadows, a settlement dated to 1000 AD. During the 1800’s, the maritimes served as Canada’s primary center in the shipbuilding and fishing industry. Large fishing fleets brought in record catches from the well-stocked fields such as the Flemish Gap, the Grand Banks, and the Georges Banks. This caused a sharp decline in the fish populations of those areas.

Canadian Territories - Coat of Arms

Before Nunuvat was split off as its own territory, the Northwest Territories consisted of over 3,300,000 square kilometers. If it had been an independent country, it would have ranked as the 7th largest nation in the world, just above India. The three Canadian territories account for 1/3 of the total land area of Canada, but less than 3% of the total population. It is one of the remotest and unspoiled regions of the world. The area has attracted much attention in recent years; with the ice packs of the Arctic Ocean receding to global warming, the realization of the Northwest Passage will open the region to exploration and expansion.

German States - Coat of Arms

German States - Coat of Arms

Germany is made up of 16 states or “Länder,” a term first used during the Weimar Republic, the Second Reich. During the era of the Third Reich, Germany was divided into 32 administrative districts, each referred to as a “Gau.” Prior to this, the 25 constitutes states making up the German Empire were known as “Staaten.” In 1796, the Holy Roman Empire was comprised of more than 300 political divisions. This number was sharply reduced to less than 40 through the formation of Napoleon’s Confederation of the Rhine. 

German States - Coats of Arms

In 1949, the Soviet Union used their zone of occupation for the creation of an independent East Germany separate from West Germany. The former provincial boundaries used prior to the Third Reich were used in Eastern Germany and remained intact until the Administrative Reform of 1952 divided the country into 14 arbitrarily created districts referred as “bezirke;” East Berlin became the 15th district in 1961. The state borders were established to their current boundaries in 1990 as part of Germany’s reunification.

European Heraldry - The Bison

The European bison is the heaviest European herbivore. A mature adult is 2 to 3.5 meters in length, stands 1.5 to 2 meters tall, and can weigh as much as 900 kilos. Their native range covered most of the cooler regions in Europe and extended into the Caucasus Mountains. Deciduous and mixed forests were ideal habitats. The European bison is a browser and the American bison is a grazer. Browsers primarily feed on leaves, shoots, and fruit; grazers rely more on grass. Several European cities have used the bison in their local coat of arms. Svislach is a town in Belarus, Perloja is in Lithuania, and Żywiec is located in Poland.