Newfoundland and Labrador

Article Outline

Introduction; Physical Geography; Economic Activities; The People of Newfoundland and Labrador; Education and Cultural Life; Recreation and Places to Visit; Government; History

Introduction

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Newfoundland and Labrador, easternmost province of Canada. It is also Canada’s newest province, having joined the federation in 1949. The province has two sections of unequal size: Newfoundland, which is an island, and the much larger region of Labrador, on the mainland of Canada. Together, these sections have a land area of roughly the size of California. From 1927 to 1965 the name Newfoundland was used both for the island and for the entire province. In 1965 the province’s name was changed to Newfoundland and Labrador. St. John’s, in southeastern Newfoundland, is the provincial capital and largest city; it is also one of the oldest settlements in North America.

Labrador is bordered by Québec province on the south, west, and north; the Atlantic Ocean on the east; and the Strait of Belle Isle on the southeast. Newfoundland, located southeast of Labrador, meets the Atlantic Ocean on the east and south, the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the west, and the Strait of Belle Isle on the north.

Newfoundland and Labrador is a land of rugged beauty. Picturesque fishing villages dot the rocky shores and outlying islands. Vast tracts of untamed wilderness cover the interior of Newfoundland and almost all of Labrador, a land of tundra, ice, thick forests, and barren rock. The province was among the first areas of North America to be encountered by Europeans. Vikings from Iceland and Greenland briefly settled in northern Newfoundland about the year ad 1000, at a site called L’Anse aux Meadows. The first use of the name Newfoundland dates to 1497, after Italian explorer John Cabot sighted a “new found isle” in the North Atlantic. By the early 1500s the island was referred to as the “New found launde” in English, and the Latin name Terra Nova (new land) was used in early documents and maps. It is still called Terra Nova by the Spanish and Portuguese, and the French use the name Terre Neuve.

Physical Geography

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Newfoundland and Labrador is the seventh largest province of Canada, with an area of 405,212 sq km (156,453 sq mi), including 31,340 sq km (12,100 sq mi) of inland water. The island of Newfoundland alone encompasses 108,860 sq km (42,031 sq mi), and Labrador adds 296,860 sq km (114,618 sq mi).

Natural Regions

The province contains two natural regions: the Appalachian Region and the Canadian Shield. All of the island of Newfoundland and a small part of southeastern Labrador belong to the Appalachian Region, a formation that extends from Newfoundland to the southeastern United States. In Newfoundland the Appalachian Region consists mainly of a large plateau. This natural region can be subdivided into three smaller regions: the Newfoundland Highlands, the Atlantic Upland, and the Central Lowland.

The Newfoundland Highlands make up most of the western part of the island. This region is the edge of the plateau, which rises abruptly on the western shore and slopes gently to the east. Elevations in this area reach a height of 814 m (2,671 ft) in the Lewis Hills in the southwest. This region is also sometimes called the Long Range Mountains.

The Atlantic Upland forms most of the south and east of the island. This region is mostly a flat or rolling plateau with an average elevation of about 300 m (about 1,000 ft). There are some rugged hilly sections in the southeast on the Avalon Peninsula. Bogs, ponds, and small lakes are numerous in this region.

The Central Lowland occupies the north central part of the island. Most of this region is flat or gently rolling, with almost all elevations less than 150 m (500 ft).

The Canadian Shield, which occupies nearly half of Canada’s total area, covers all of Labrador apart from its southeastern corner. The region is mostly a vast plateau made up of ancient, hard rock. However, some areas of Labrador contain softer sedimentary rock, including a region in the west called the Labrador Trough, which holds some of North America’s richest iron ore deposits. Elevations range from 450 to 600 m (1,500 to 2,000 ft) in the interior, but the edge of the plateau along the coast is more rugged, with slightly higher elevations. The Torngat Mountains in extreme northern Labrador rise to a height of 1,652 m (5,420 ft) at the summit of Mount Caubvick, the highest point in the province.

Rivers and Lakes

Both Labrador and Newfoundland have many rivers and lakes. The Churchill River in Labrador is the province’s longest river. It rises in the west and flows eastward for 335 km (208 mi) before emptying into Lake Melville, a saltwater lake linked to the Atlantic Ocean. On this river is Churchill Falls, with a vertical drop of 75 m (245 ft). It is one of the single greatest sources of hydroelectric power in North America. Other large rivers in Labrador are the Naskaupi, the Eagle, and the Romaine.

On Newfoundland the Exploits River is the island’s longest waterway. It begins in southwestern Newfoundland and flows for 240 km (150 mi) to empty into the Bay of Exploits in the north. The second-longest river on the island is the Gander River, which flows in a northeasterly direction.

The largest natural lake in the province is Lake Melville in eastern Labrador. It has an area of 3,069 sq km (1,185 sq mi). Lake Melville is really a 140-km (87-mi) extension of the Hamilton Inlets and is connected with the ocean by a narrow inlet. Smallwood Reservoir in western Labrador was created by the dams of the Churchill River and is the largest body of freshwater in the province, with an area of 6,527 sq km (2,520 sq mi). Grand Lake, Red Indian Lake, and Gander Lake are the largest lakes on the island of Newfoundland.

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Newfoundland and Labrador

Introduction

Physical Geography

Natural Regions

Rivers and Lakes