h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

They speak Gaelic in Nova Scotia, Canada as well. There is even a Gaelic University in Sydney, NS.

Well, some peole speak Gaelic in Champaign, Illinois, but that doesn't mean it has any historical, cultural, or dialectic significance. The research I did, didn't mention anything about Nova Scotia....

-icarus

As far as I know, there used to be a Gaelic speaking community (more than just a few scattered speakers) in Nova Scotia (Breton Island, I think), resulting from emigration in the 18th and 19th centuries. The dialect may be extinct as a language of everyday life by now, but I haven't been able to verify that.

It's called Cape Breton Island. It's actually very culturally distinct from Nova Scotia, and was a separate colony originally, but someone had the bright idea of combining the two. Who knows why?

I was there, this past June. There's still a great deal of Gaelic spoken, but it's generally as a second language, unfortunately. They have, however, maintained many of their other Scottish customs more entirely.

Beautiful country. If you ever get the chance, I recommend it as a vacation spot. Very peaceful.

As a permanent resident of Nova Scotia I can tell you that several hundred people in Cape Breton speak Gaelic not as a second language but as a mother tongue. A recent revival of interest in Gaelic language and culture, a number of government initiatives, and a Gaelic college have permitted many to learn Gaelic as a second language or to improve any smattering of Gaelic they may have grown up with. Many Gaelic songs are recorded here, and a Gaelic newspaper supplement (Fàilte) is distributed across the province several times a year.