By Kevin Smith
Newfoundland and Labrador is a Canadian province located in Atlantic Canada. The province is one of the four Maritime provinces. It is bordered by Quebec’s Gaspésie and Notre-Dame Mountains and Nova Scotia. Newfoundland and Labrador have a population of 537,890 (2011 Census), representing about 3% of Canada’s total population. One thing to note about Newfoundland and Labrador is that it was Britain’s first overseas colony in North America. Although at the same time, it had considerably more autonomy than colonies such as New England after 1731, it was never formally colonized by British authorities. This ties into the history portion: The history dates back to the 1500s when Portuguese explorer John Cabot mapped out the island now known as Newfoundland.
1. Newfoundland and Labrador joined Canada in 1949, the most recent province to join Canada’s Confederation.
2. It is the most easterly of all the provinces in Canada. The next closest province is Prince Edward Island.
3. The province is situated in the east-central area of Canada; this can be inferred by its name, as it is located near both Quebec (originally Nouvelle-France) and New Brunswick.
4. The capital city of Newfoundland and Labrador is St. John’s, with a population of approximately 100,000 (2013).
5. In 1610, the first log house was built in St. John’s, the oldest incorporated city in Canada.
6. The largest city is St. John’s, with a population of approximately 100,000 (2013), and its metropolitan area has an estimated 200,000 (2013). In contrast to larger cities, St. John’s tends to be very spread out due to its small core and larger suburbs; this contrasts with most large cities with large cores and small suburbs due to their compact nature. As a result, even the downtown core becomes less concentrated than other large cities like Toronto, as seen on maps.
7. Most Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are English-speaking.
8. Newfoundland and Labrador are known for their significant ties to fisheries. The province has one of the largest fishing industries in Canada, with major industrial fishing occurring on the Grand Banks and more than half of Canada’s total catch being transported through Newfoundland and Labrador waters. The province also supplies half of Canada’s fish supply, is the largest exporter of iron ore and has significant mineral deposits.
9. Tourism is another major contributor to Newfoundland and Labrador’s economy. At the same time, St John’s is a major tourism centre. Many tourists flock to other areas, such as Gros Morne National Park, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 for natural beauty and hiking trails.
10. Famous dishes are the traditional fish and brewis, the pea meal bacon sandwich and the bannock.
11. During the early years of colonization, Britain made treaties with the Vikings (Danish) to protect them from other European countries; this helped secure a large population for Newfoundland as many Vikings settled in Newfoundland after failing to replicate their successes in Vinland (North America). However, before 1713 there was no official British authority over Newfoundland, even though Britain controlled it during the early period of colonization.
12. The best beaches in Newfoundland and Labrador are located around the Avalon Peninsula.
Lisa Simpson