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Newfoundland Provincial Overview

Location

Newfoundland (the correct name is now "Newfoundland & Labrador") is Canada's most easterly province, and is in the northeast corner of North America, facing the North Atlantic (see Provincial Map). The province consists of two distinct geographical entities, the island of Newfoundland and Labrador, which is located on the mainland bordering Quebec. The province has a total area of 405,720 square kilometres, with a coastline of over 17,000 kilometres.

Its largest community is its capital, St John's, which is also the oldest city in North America.

History

The central region of the island of Newfoundland was the home of the Beothuk Indians. The first Europeans to visit Newfoundland were Vikings, who arrived in the late tenth century. In the 1500s Europeans "discovered" the area and began fishing in the Grand Banks south of the island, including the Basques, Portuguese, Spanish, British and French. Colonial warfare lasted through the 1600s and 1700s until the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, which gave British control over Newfoundland and the fishing banks. In 1832, the people of Newfoundland were granted an elected assembly and its own responsible government in 1855. Following World War II, Newfoundland's status as a British colony was th subject of several referenda until 1948, when Newfoundlanders voted in favour of joining the Canadian confederation. Newfoundland became Canada's newest province on March 31, 1949.

The Economy

People

The province has a population of 551,000, of which 174,000 live in St. John's, the historic commercial centre and capital of the island. Other major centres are Grand Falls, Windsor and Corner Brook.