Labrador

Labrador, vast peninsular region of eastern Canada, lying between Hudson Bay on the west and the Atlantic Ocean on the east, and incorporating the Ungava Peninsula in the north. It has an area of about 296,860 sq km (about 114,618 sq mi). The region includes much of northern Québec and the mainland portion of Newfoundland. In 1927, in a dispute over the boundary between Québec and Newfoundland in the Labrador interior, the British Privy Council ruled in favor of Newfoundland; however, Québec continues to contest the boundary. The name Labrador is often applied specifically to the Newfoundland portion of the peninsula, which occupies about one-fifth of the total area. Largely a plateau region, it has a deeply indented Atlantic coastline. The northern portion is largely barren tundra; coniferous forests are found in the south. Labrador is only sparsely settled by small numbers of Inuit (Eskimos). Fishing is an important activity along the Labrador coast. In 1954 mining of reserves of iron ore began in the interior. A hydroelectric plant opened in 1971 at Churchill Falls. Population 7,744 (2001).