Newfoundland and Labrador Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador (French)[1]
Province
Flag Coat of arms
Motto(s):  Quaerite prime regnum Dei (Latin) "Seek ye first the kingdom of God" (Matthew 6:33)
BC AB SK MB ON QC NB PE NS NL YT NT NU
Coordinates: 53°13′48″N 59°59′57″W / 53.23000°N 59.99917°W / 53.23000; -59.99917[2]
Country	Canada
Before confederation	Dominion of Newfoundland
Confederation	March 31, 1949 (12th)
Capital (and largest city)	St. John's
Largest metro	Greater St. John's
Government
• Type	Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
• Lieutenant governor	Joan Marie Aylward
• Premier	Andrew Furey
Legislature	Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
Federal representation	Parliament of Canada
House seats	7 of 338 (2.1%)
Senate seats	6 of 105 (5.7%)
Area
• Total	405,212 km2 (156,453 sq mi)
• Land	373,872 km2 (144,353 sq mi)
• Water	31,340 km2 (12,100 sq mi)  7.7%
• Rank	10th
	4.1% of Canada
Population  (2021)
• Total	510,550[3]
• Estimate  (Q1 2024)	540,552[4]
• Rank	9th
• Density	1.37/km2 (3.5/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Newfoundlander Labradorian (see notes)[a]
Official languages	English (de facto)[5]
GDP
• Rank	8th
• Total (2011)	C$33.624 billion[6]
• Per capita	C$65,556 (5th)
HDI
• HDI (2021)	0.900[7]—Very high (13th)
Time zones
Newfoundland	UTC-03:30 (Newfoundland Time Zone)
Labrador (Black Tickle and North)	UTC-04:00 (Atlantic Time Zone)
Canadian postal abbr.	NL (formerly NF)
Postal code prefix	A
ISO 3166 code	CA-NL
Flower	Pitcher plant
Tree	Black spruce
Bird	Atlantic puffin
Rankings include all provinces and territories

Newfoundland and Labrador (/ˈnjuːfən(d)lənd ... ˈlæbrədɔːr, -lænd ... / NEW-fən(d)-lənd ... LAB-rə-dor, -⁠land ..., locally /ˌnjuːfənˈlænd ... / NEW-fən-LAND ...; French: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of 405,212 km² (156,453 sq mi) As of January 1, 2024, the population of Newfoundland and Labrador was estimated to be 540,552.^[8] The island of Newfoundland (and its smaller neighbouring islands) is home to around 94 per cent of the province's population, with more than half residing in the Avalon Peninsula. Labrador shares a land border with both the province of Quebec and the territory of Nunavut on Killiniq Island. The French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon lies about 20 km (12 mi) west of the Burin Peninsula.

According to the 2016 census, 97.0% of residents reported English as their native language, making Newfoundland and Labrador Canada's most linguistically homogeneous province. Much of the population is descended from Irish settlers, giving Newfoundland its reputation as "the most Irish place outside Ireland."^[9]

St. John's, the capital and largest city of Newfoundland and Labrador, is Canada's 22nd-largest census metropolitan area and home to about 40% of the province's population. St. John's is the seat of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador as well as the province's highest court, the Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal.

Until 1949, the Dominion of Newfoundland was a separate dominion in the British Empire. In 1933, the House of Assembly of the self-governing dominion voted to dissolve itself and to hand over administration of Newfoundland and Labrador to the British-appointed Commission of Government. This followed the suffering caused by the Great Depression and Newfoundland's participation in the First World War. On March 31, 1949, it became the 10th and most recent province to join the Canadian Confederation as "Newfoundland". On December 6, 2001, the Constitution of Canada was amended to change the province's name from "Newfoundland" to "Newfoundland and Labrador".

Names

The name "New founde lande" was uttered by King Henry VII about the land explored by Sebastian and John Cabot. In Portuguese, it is Terra Nova (while the province's full name is Terra Nova e Labrador), which literally means "new land" and is also the French name for the province's island region (Terre-Neuve). The name "Terra Nova" is in wide use on the island (e.g. Terra Nova National Park). The influence of early Portuguese exploration is also reflected in the name of Labrador, which derives from the surname of the Portuguese navigator João Fernandes Lavrador.^[10]

Labrador's name in the Inuttitut/Inuktitut language (spoken in Nunatsiavut) is Nunatsuak (ᓄᓇᑦᓱᐊᒃ), meaning "the big land" (a common English nickname for Labrador^[11]). Newfoundland's Inuttitut/Inuktitut name is Ikkarumikluak (ᐃᒃᑲᕈᒥᒃᓗᐊᒃ), meaning "place of many shoals". Newfoundland and Labrador's Inuttitut / Inuktitut name is Ikkarumikluak aamma Nunatsuak.

Terre-Neuve et Labrador is the French name used in the Constitution of Canada. However, French is not widely spoken in Newfoundland and Labrador and is not an official language at the provincial level.

On April 29, 1999, the government of Brian Tobin passed a motion in the Newfoundland House of Assembly requesting the federal government amend the Newfoundland Act to change the province's name to "Newfoundland and Labrador". A resolution approving the name change was put forward in the House of Commons in October 2001, introduced by Tobin who had moved to federal politics. Tobin's successor as premier Roger Grimes stated: "The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is firmly committed to ensuring official recognition of Labrador as an equal partner in this province, and a constitutional name change of our province will reiterate that commitment".^[12] Following approval by the House of Commons and the Senate, Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson officially proclaimed the name change on December 6, 2001.^[13]

Geography

Newfoundland and Labrador is the most easterly province in Canada, situated in the northeastern region of North America.^[14] The Strait of Belle Isle separates the province into two geographical parts: Labrador, connected to mainland Canada, and Newfoundland, an island in the Atlantic Ocean.^[15] The province also includes over 7,000 tiny islands.^[16]

Newfoundland has a roughly triangular shape. Each side is about 400 km (250 mi) long, and its area is 108,860 km² (42,030 sq mi).^[16] Newfoundland and its neighbouring small islands (excluding French possessions) have an area of 111,390 km² (43,010 sq mi).^[17] Newfoundland extends between latitudes 46°36′N and 51°38′N.^[18][19]

Labrador is also roughly triangular in shape: the western part of its border with Quebec is the drainage divide of the Labrador Peninsula. Lands drained by rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean are part of Labrador, and the rest belongs to Quebec. Most of Labrador's southern boundary with Quebec follows the 52nd parallel of latitude. Labrador's extreme northern tip, at 60°22′N, shares a short border with Nunavut on Killiniq Island. Labrador also has a maritime border with Greenland. Labrador's land area (including associated small islands) is 294,330 km² (113,640 sq mi).^[17] Together, Newfoundland and Labrador make up 4.06 per cent of Canada's area,^[20] with a total area of 405,720 km² (156,650 sq mi).^[21]

Geology

Labrador is the easternmost part of the Canadian Shield, a vast area of ancient metamorphic rock making up much of northeastern North America. Colliding tectonic plates have shaped much of the geology of Newfoundland. Gros Morne National Park has a reputation as an outstanding example of tectonics at work,^[22] and as such has been designated a World Heritage Site. The Long Range Mountains on Newfoundland's west coast are the northeasternmost extension of the Appalachian Mountains.^[15]

The north-south extent of the province (46°36′N to 60°22′N), prevalent westerly winds, cold ocean currents and local factors such as mountains and coastline combine to create the various climates of the province.^[23]

Climate

Newfoundland, in broad terms, has a cool summer subtype, with a humid continental climate attributable to its proximity to water — no part of the island is more than 100 km (62 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean.^[24] However, Northern Labrador is classified as a polar tundra climate, and southern Labrador has a subarctic climate.^[25] Newfoundland and Labrador contain a range of climates and weather patterns, including frequent combinations of high winds, snow, rain, and fog, conditions that regularly made travel by road, air, or ferry challenging or impossible.^[24]

Monthly average temperatures, rainfall levels, and snowfall levels for four locations are shown in the attached graphs. St. John's represents the east coast, Gander the interior of the island, Corner Brook the west coast of the island and Wabush the interior of Labrador. Climate data for 56 places in the province is available from Environment Canada.^[26]

The data for the graphs is the average over 30 years. Error bars on the temperature graph indicate the range of daytime highs and night time lows. Snowfall is the total amount that fell during the month, not the amount accumulated on the ground. This distinction is particularly important for St. John's, where a heavy snowfall can be followed by rain, so no snow remains on the ground.

Surface water temperatures on the Atlantic side reach a summer average of 12 °C (54 °F) inshore and 9 °C (48 °F) offshore to winter lows of −1 °C (30 °F) inshore and 2 °C (36 °F) offshore.^[27] Sea temperatures on the west coast are warmer than Atlantic side by 1–3 °C (approximately 2–5 °F). The sea keeps winter temperatures slightly higher and summer temperatures a little lower on the coast than inland.^[27] The maritime climate produces more variable weather, ample precipitation in a variety of forms, greater humidity, lower visibility, more clouds, less sunshine, and higher winds than a continental climate.^[27]

History

Early history and the Beothuks

Dorset culture

Human habitation in Newfoundland and Labrador can be traced back about 9,000 years.^[29] The Maritime Archaic peoples were sea-mammal hunters in the subarctic.^[30] They prospered along the Atlantic Coast of North America from about 7000 BC to 1500 BC.^[31] Their settlements included longhouses and boat-topped temporary or seasonal houses.^[30] They engaged in long-distance trade, using as currency white chert, a rock quarried from northern Labrador to Maine.^[32] The southern branch of these people was established on the north peninsula of Newfoundland by 5,000 years ago.^[33] The Maritime Archaic period is best known from a mortuary site in Newfoundland at Port au Choix.^[30]

The Maritime Archaic peoples were gradually displaced by people of the Dorset culture (Late Paleo-Eskimo) who also occupied Port au Choix. The number of their sites discovered on Newfoundland indicates they may have been the most numerous Aboriginal people to live there. They thrived from about 2000 BC to 800 AD. Many of their sites were on exposed headlands and outer islands. They were more oriented to the sea than earlier peoples, and had developed sleds and boats similar to kayaks. They burned seal blubber in soapstone lamps.^[33]

Many of these sites, such as Port au Choix, recently excavated by Memorial archaeologist, Priscilla Renouf, are quite large and show evidence of a long-term commitment to place. Renouf has excavated huge amounts of harp seal bones at Port au Choix, indicating that this place was a prime location for the hunting of these animals.^[33]

The people of the Dorset culture (800 BC – 1500 AD) were highly adapted to a cold climate, and much of their food came from hunting sea mammals through holes in the ice.^[34] The massive decline in sea ice during the Medieval Warm Period would have had a devastating effect upon their way of life.^[34]

Beothuk settlement

The appearance of the Beothuk culture is believed to be the most recent cultural manifestation of peoples who first migrated from Labrador to Newfoundland around 1 AD.^[35] The Inuit, found mostly in Labrador, are the descendants of what anthropologists call the Thule people, who emerged from western Alaska around 1000 AD and spread eastwards across the High Arctic tundra reaching Labrador around 1300–1500.^[36] Researchers believe the Dorset culture lacked the dogs, larger weapons and other technologies that gave the expanding Inuit an advantage.^[37]

The inhabitants eventually organized themselves into small bands of a few families, grouped into larger tribes and chieftainships. The Innu are the inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan, i.e. most of what is now referred to as northeastern Quebec and Labrador. Their subsistence activities were historically centered on hunting and trapping caribou, deer and small game.^[38] Coastal clans also practiced agriculture, fished and managed maple sugar bush.^[38] The Innu engaged in tribal warfare along the coast of Labrador with Inuit groups that had large populations.^[39]

The Miꞌkmaq of southern Newfoundland spent most of their time on the shores harvesting seafood; during the winter they would move inland to the woods to hunt.^[40] Over time, the Miꞌkmaq and Innu divided their lands into traditional "districts". Each district was independently governed and had a district chief and a council. The council members were band chiefs, elders and other worthy community leaders.^[41] In addition to the district councils, the Miꞌkmaq tribes also developed a Grand Council or Santé Mawiómi, which according to oral tradition was formed before 1600.^[42]

European contact

By the time European contact with Newfoundland began in the early 16th century, the Beothuk were the only indigenous group living permanently on the island.^[35] Unlike other groups in the Northeastern area of the Americas, the Beothuk never established sustained trading relations with European settlers. Their interactions were sporadic, and they largely attempted to avoid contact.^[43] The establishment of English fishing operations on the outer coastline of the island, and their later expansion into bays and inlets, cut off access for the Beothuk to their traditional sources of food.^[44][45][46]

In the 18th century, as the Beothuk were driven further inland by these encroachments, violence between Beothuk and settlers escalated, with each retaliating against the other in their competition for resources. By the early 19th century, violence, starvation, and exposure to tuberculosis had decimated the Beothuk population, and they were extinct by 1829.^[35]

The oldest confirmed accounts of European contact date from a thousand years ago as described in the Viking (Norse) Icelandic Sagas. Around the year 1001, the sagas refer to Leif Erikson landing in three places to the west,^[47] the first two being Helluland (possibly Baffin Island) and Markland (possibly Labrador).^[48][49][50] Leif's third landing was at a place he called Vinland (possibly Newfoundland).^[51] Archaeological evidence of a Norse settlement was found in L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978.^[52][53] Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=Province_of_Newfoundland_and_Labrador
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