Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. It comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, with an area of and a population of 552,462 in . Newfoundland with its neighbouring islands has 94% of the province's population, with more than half in the Avalon Peninsula. Labrador has a land border with the province of Quebec and a short border with Nunavut on Killiniq Island. The French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon lies about west of the Burin Peninsula.
In 2021, 99.4% 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 English and Irish settlers, with the majority immigrating from the early 17th century to the late 19th century. St. John's, the capital and largest city, 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 provincial House of Assembly and its highest court, the 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 tenth 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 In 1499 King Henry VII in a letterHenry VII’s letter to John Morton concerning William Weston’s voyage to the new found land; posted at academia.edu. referred to the newly encountered landmass explored in 1497 by Sebastian and John Cabot as "new founde land." In Portuguese, it is (while the province's full name in that language is ), which literally means "new land" and is also the French name for the province's island region (). 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.Hamilton, William B. (1978): The Macmillan book of Canadian place names, Macmillan of Canada, Toronto, p. 105.
Labrador's name in the Inuttitut/Inuktitut language (spoken in Nunatsiavut) is (), meaning "the big land" (a common English nickname for Labrador). Newfoundland's Inuttitut/Inuktitut name is (), meaning "place of many shoals". Newfoundland and Labrador's Inuttitut / Inuktitut name is .
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 introduced a constitutional amendment in the Newfoundland House of Assembly, to amend the Newfoundland Act and change the province's name to "Newfoundland and Labrador". In October 2001, Tobin, now back in federal politics, introduced a corresponding resolution in the House of Commons, to implement the name change. 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." Following approval by the House of Commons and the Senate, Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson proclaimed the constitutional amendment, making the name change official on December 6, 2001.
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, 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.
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.
Geography
Newfoundland and Labrador is the most easterly province in Canada, situated in the northeastern region of North America. 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. The province also includes over 7,000 tiny islands. The highest point of the province is Mount Caubvick with the highest point on Newfoundland being Cabox.
Newfoundland has a roughly triangular shape. Each side is about long, and its area is . Newfoundland and its neighbouring small islands (excluding French possessions) have an area of . Newfoundland extends between latitudes 46°36′N and 51°38′N.
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 . Together, Newfoundland and Labrador make up 4.06% of Canada's area, with a total area of .
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 from the Atlantic Ocean. However, Northern Labrador is classified as a polar tundra climate, and southern Labrador has a subarctic climate. 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.
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.
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 inshore and offshore to winter lows of inshore and offshore. 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. 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.
+Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected locations in Newfoundland and LabradorLocationJuly (°C)July (°F)January (°C)January (°F)St. John's 20/11 68/52 −1/−9 30/16Grand Falls-Windsor 23/11 73/52 −2/–12 27/9Gander 21/11 71/51 −3/−12 26/11Corner Brook 22/13 71/55 −3/−10 28/15Stephenville 20/12 68/54 −2/−9 27/15Fogo Island 19/10 66/50 −3/–9 26/16Labrador City 19/8 66/47 −16/–27 2/–18Happy Valley-Goose Bay 21/10 69/50 −12/−22 9/−8Nain 15/5 59/41 −14/−23 7/−10
History
Early history and the Beothuks
Dorset culture Human habitation in Newfoundland and Labrador can be traced back about 9,000 years. The Maritime Archaic peoples were sea-mammal hunters in the subarctic. They prospered along the Atlantic Coast of North America from about 7000 BC to 1500 BC. Their settlements included longhouses and boat-topped temporary or seasonal houses. They engaged in long-distance trade, using as currency white chert, a rock quarried from northern Labrador to Maine. The southern branch of these people was established on the north peninsula of Newfoundland by 5,000 years ago. The Maritime Archaic period is best known from a mortuary site in Newfoundland at Port au Choix.
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.Ralph T. Pastore, "Aboriginal Peoples: Palaeo-Eskimo Peoples" , Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage: Newfoundland and Labrador Studies Site 2205, 1998, Memorial University of Newfoundland
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.
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. The massive decline in sea ice during the Medieval Warm Period would have had a devastating effect upon their way of life.
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. 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. Researchers believe the Dorset culture lacked the dogs, larger weapons and other technologies that gave the expanding Inuit an advantage.
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. Coastal clans also practiced agriculture, fished and managed maple sugar bush. The Innu engaged in tribal warfare along the coast of Labrador with Inuit groups that had large populations.