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The Land
Nestled into the northeast corner of North America, facing the
North Atlantic, is Newfoundland, Canada's most easterly province.
Lying between the 46th and 61st parallels, the province consists
of two distinct geographical entities: Newfoundland and Labrador.
The island of Newfoundland, which forms the southern and
eastern portion of the province, is a large triangular-shaped area
of some 112 000 km2, while the province's total
area is 405 720 km2. Located at the mouth of the
St. Lawrence River, the island is about halfway between the centre
of North America and the coast of western Europe. The island of
Newfoundland is separated from the Canadian mainland by the Strait
of Belle Isle in the north and by the wider Cabot Strait in the
south. The mainland, Labrador, is bordered by northeastern Quebec.
Approximately two and a half times as large as the island, it
remains a vast, pristine wilderness, where the northern lights, or
aurora borealis, flicker over the largest caribou herd in the
world.
The province's coastline, stretching over more than 17 000
km, is varied and scenic with its bold headlands, deep fiords and
countless small coves and offshore islands. The interiors of both
Labrador and Newfoundland have a rolling, rugged topography,
deeply etched by glacial activity and broken by lakes and
swift-flowing rivers. Much of the island and southern and central
Labrador is covered by a thick boreal forest of black spruce and
balsam fir mixed with birch, tamarack and balsam poplar. Northern
Labrador is largely devoid of forest and is marked by the
spectacular Torngat Mountains, which rise abruptly from the sea to
heights of up to 1 676 metres.
Newfoundland's climate can best be described as moderate and
maritime. The island enjoys winters that are surprisingly mild by
Canadian standards, though with a high rate of precipitation.
Labrador, by comparison, has the cold winters and brief summers
characteristic of the Canadian mid-North.
The History
The central region of the island of Newfoundland was once the
home of the now extinct Beothuk Indians. The first Europeans to
visit Newfoundland were Norsemen, who arrived in the late 10th
century; the Norse settlement at l'Anse aux Meadows was the
world's first cultural discovery location to receive recognition
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other early visitors, the
Basques, Portuguese, Spanish, British and French, staged fishing
expeditions in the 16th century and probably even earlier.
In 1497, the Italian seafarer Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) went
to investigate what lay in the northern section of the western
Atlantic. John Cabot landed on the island on June 24, 1497, on the
feast of St. John the Baptist. Cabot called the new land "St.
John's Isle" in honour of the saint and claimed it for Henry
VII of England, his patron and employer.
France, already well-established on the mainland of Eastern
Canada, also played an important role in the exploration of the
area and by the 1600s had begun to make claims to parts of
Newfoundland. In 1662, France established a fort and colony at
Placentia, despite protests from British merchants and fishermen.
The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 ended a long period of raids and
skirmishes by both nations and reconfirmed British sovereignty
over Newfoundland and the fishing banks.
The people of Newfoundland were granted the right to vote for
an elected assembly in 1832 and, after much debate, Newfoundland
was given responsible government in 1855. In 1865, Newfoundland
postponed the decision on whether to join the Dominion of Canada.
Following the Second World War, the question of Newfoundland's
future status became an issue once again. A public referendum was
held on the subject in 1948; Newfoundlanders voted in favour of
joining the Canadian Confederation. Newfoundland became Canada's
newest province on March 31, 1949.
The People
The province's present population of approximately 550 000
is largely descended from settlers from southwestern England and
southern Ireland who immigrated to Newfoundland in the late 1700s
and early 1800s. There is also a small but vibrant francophone
population, perhaps reflecting France's early presence in the
area. The pattern of settlement was mainly determined by the
fishing industry, a population distribution that has persisted to
this day. The Avalon Peninsula and northeastern Newfoundland, the
traditional base for the fisheries, continue to be the most
heavily populated areas.
St. John's, the historic commercial centre and capital of the
island, is the province's largest city, with a population of
approximately 174 500. Other major centres are Grand Falls,
Windsor, Corner Brook, Gander and Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The
smaller communities - often called outports - remain,
nevertheless, a major element in Newfoundland society. The twin
towns of Labrador City and Wabush, which together form the largest
urban community of Labrador, are based on the iron-ore mining
industries of the area.
Today, Newfoundland and Labrador are home to four peoples of
Aboriginal ancestry: the Micmac, who are located on the island
portion of the province, and the Inuit, the Innu and the Métis
who are concentrated in the coastal communities of Labrador.
The Economy
Since its first settlement, Newfoundland and Labrador has been
highly dependent on its resource sector. The province was
initially settled because of its rich fishing grounds on the Grand
Banks. The mainstay of the province's fishing industry has been
groundfish (primarily cod); however, other important catches are
flounder, redfish, capelin, shrimp and crab.
Protection of the rich fishery resources off the coast of
Newfoundland has been an ongoing concern which has intensified in
recent years. In 1977, the Canadian government extended its
fishery jurisdiction to 322 kilometres around the coast of the
province in an attempt to gain better control of fishing activity.
This move produced positive results in the 1980s, but in 1989
scientific studies revealed that, due to a number of factors, some
of the Atlantic's key groundfish stocks were in severe decline.
Since that period, there have been successive reductions in quotas
and fishing moratoria.
The second prominent aspect of the provincial economy is the
mining industry. This industry ships mineral products valued at
approximately $800 million a year, mostly iron ore from Labrador.
Other minerals mined in the province are gold, asbestos, limestone
and gypsum. In 1994, a major discovery of nickel, copper and
cobalt was made at Voisey Bay and a significant development
project is now under way.
The third significant traditional goods-producing industry is
the newsprint industry. This industry consists primarily of three
pulp and paper mills located in Corner Brook, Grand Falls and
Stephenville, which have undergone extensive rationalization and
modernization over the past decade.
Recently, the discovery of offshore oil and gas reserves has
added a new dimension to the marine resources of the province. In
1999, offshore-related activity and associated spin-offs accounted
for over 10 percent of the provincial gross domestic product and
2.6 percent of employment. The Hibernia discovery in 1979 was
Newfoundland's first significant oil find; reserves are estimated
at 884 million barrels, making it the fifth largest oil field in
Canada. Production began in November 1997 and cumulative oil
production to December 1999 totalled about 57 million barrels.
The province's largest utility industry is electric power. The
largest hydroelectric facility is located in Churchill Falls,
Labrador, with a total installed capacity of 5 403 megawatts.
In addition to fish products and pulp and paper products, about
half of the province's manufacturing gross domestic product comes
from other resource- and non-resource-based manufacturing.
Numerous companies are engaged in the manufacture of items such as
boats, lumber, chemical and oil-based products, food and
beverages, clothing and footwear. In total, the province shipped
about $1.76 billion in manufactured products in 1998.
Newfoundland's agriculture industry is small compared with
other Canadian provinces. The output of the agriculture industry
is mainly for domestic consumption, although some agricultural
products such as blueberries and furs are sold to markets outside
the province.
Newfoundland's service sector has experienced substantial
growth over the years. In recent years, Newfoundland's efforts to
develop a solid tourism industry have intensified. The province's
rich cultural and historical heritage, rugged geography and unique
character are considered to be major selling features to other
Canadians and travellers from around the world. It is estimated
that 393 000 people visit the province each year, spending an
estimated $260 million annually.
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