Newfoundland (island)

This is about the island in the North Atlantic Ocean. For the Canadian province formerly (and still colloquially) known as Newfoundland, see Newfoundland and Labrador. For the dominion that preceded it, see Dominion of Newfoundland. For other meanings of Newfoundland, see Newfoundland (disambiguation).

Newfoundland Tricolour Flag (unofficial)
Newfoundland
File:Newfoundland From Space.jpg
Geography
Area:	111,390 km²
Water area:	7,797 km²
Coastline:	9,656 km
Highest Point:	Lewis Hills 814m
Longest River:	Exploits River 246km
Admin HQ:	St. John's
Demographics
Population(2001):	466,172
Major Ethnic Groups :	Irish, English, Some French
Largest City:	St. John's 99,182 (city) 172,915 (metro)
Politics
Government of Newfoundland & Labrador http://www.gov.nl.ca
Members of the House of Commons:	6 (of 7 in NL and 308 total)
Members of the Canadian Senate:	6 (of 6 in NL and 105 total)
Members of the House of Assembly:	44 (of 48 total)

Newfoundland (French: Terre-Neuve; Irish: Talamh an Éisc; Spanish and Latin: Terra Nova; Basque: Ternua; Japanese: Nyuuhundorandoshima) is a large island off the northeast coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Newfoundland is often referred as "The Middle of the North Atlantic", but it is actually more than 1000 km away from it. The island of Newfoundland (originally called Terra Nova) was most likely first named by the Italian John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) in 1497. The province where this island is located was also called "Newfoundland" until 2001, when its name was changed to "Newfoundland and Labrador" (the postal abbreviation was later changed from NF to NL).

Newfoundland is separated from the Labrador Peninsula by the Strait of Belle Isle and from Cape Breton Island by the Cabot Strait. It blocks the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River, creating the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the world's largest estuary. Newfoundland's nearest neighbour is the tiny French overseas community of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

It is 111,390 km² in area, making it the world's 16th largest island, and Canada's fourth largest island. The provincial capital, St. John's, is found on the southeastern tip of the island. Cape Spear, just south of the capital, is Canada's easternmost point. The island of Newfoundland has a population (2001) of 466,172.

Newfoundland has a dialect of English known as Newfoundland English, a dialect of French known as Newfoundland French, and a dialect of Irish known as Newfoundland Irish.

First inhabitants

The recent natives on Newfoundland were the probable ancestors of the historical Beothuk inhabitants at the time of European contact. Beothuk means "people" in the Beothuk language. The origins of the Beothuks are uncertain, but it appears that they were a native group that came from Labrador. The culture is now extinct, remembered only in museum, historical and archaeological records. Shanawdithit, the last known Beothuk (a woman), died in St. John's in 1829.

It is likely that the natives described by the Vikings as skraelings were Beothuk inhabitants of Labrador and Newfoundland. The first conflicts between Europeans and native peoples may have occurred around 1006 at L'Anse aux Meadows when parties of Norsemen attempted to establish permanent settlements along the coast of Newfoundland. According to Norse sagas, the native skraelings responded so ferociously that the newcomers eventually withdrew and apparently gave up their original intentions to settle.

When other Europeans arrived, beginning with John Cabot in 1497, contact with the Beothuks was established. Estimates of the number of Beothuks on the island at this time vary, ranging from 1,000 to 5,000.

As European settlement became year-round and expanded to new areas of the coast the area available to the Beothuks to harvest the marine resources they relied upon was diminished. By the beginning of the nineteenth century there were few Beothuks remaining, many having been killed by settlers or having died as a result of starvation and disease. Government attempts to open a dialogue with the native peoples of Newfoundland came too late to save them.

Many Newfoundland residents can trace a clear Native American ancestry, mostly Beothuk or Micmak.

Discovery, colonization, and settlement

James Cook's 1775 Chart of Newfoundland

Newfoundland is the site of the only authenticated Norse settlement in North America, discovered by Norwegian explorer Dr. Helge Ingstad and his archaeologist wife, Anne Stine Ingstad, at L'Anse aux Meadows in 1960. The site of a multi-year archaeological dig, the settlement dating to more than 500 years before Christopher Columbus, contains the earliest European structures in North America. Named a World Heritage site by UNESCO, it is believed to be the legendary Vinland settlement of explorer Leif Ericson.

The Norse stayed for a relatively short period of time, believed to be between 999 and 1001AD. After they left the island would be left to the aboriginal populations for nearly 500 years. Until in 1497, the island was rediscovered by the Italian navigator John Cabot. The exact place where John Cabot landed was Bonavista, along the island's East coast. . A document found in the Spanish National Archives written by a Bristol merchant says the crew landed 1,800 miles west of Dursey Head, Ireland (latitude 51 34'N) which would put Cabot within sight of Cape Bauld at the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula. Also in this document is mention of an island that Cabot sailed past to go ashore on the mainland, this description also fits with Cape Bauld theory, Belle Isle being not far offshore.

After Cabot, the first European visitors to Newfoundland were Portuguese, Spanish, French and English migratory fishermen. Late in the 17th century came Irish fishermen, who named the island Talamh an Éisc, meaning "land of the fish", or "the fishing grounds" in Irish Gaelic. This was to foreshadow the centuries of importance of Newfoundland's offshore fishing waters.

In 1583, when Sir Humphrey Gilbert formally claimed Newfoundland as a colony of England, he found numerous English, French and Portuguese vessels in St. John's. However there was no permanent population and Gilbert was lost at sea during his return voayge, thereby ending any plans of settlement.

On July 5, 1610, John Guy set sail from Bristol, England with 39 other colonists for Cuper's Cove. This, and other early attempts at permanent settlement failed to make a profit for the English investors, but some settlers remained anyway forming the very earliest European population on the island. By 1620, the fishermen of England's West Country had excluded other nations from most of the east coast of Newfoundland, while fishermen from France dominated the island's south coast and Northern Peninsula.

After 1763, with the Treaty of Paris, the French ceded control of south and north shores of the island to the British, keeping only the nearby islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon located in the fish-rich Grand Banks off the south coast. Despite some early settlements by the English, permanent, year-round settlement of Newfoundland of migratory fishery workers was discouraged by the British. But with the geographic remoteness of its isolated harbours and convenience of year-round access to the fish stations without having to make the bi-annual voyage across the ocean, permanent settlement increased rapidly by the late 18th century, peaking in the early years of the 19th century.

The French name for the island is Terre Neuve, while the name "Newfoundland"' is one of the oldest European place names in Canada in continuous geographical and cartographical use, dating from a 1502 letter, and clearly stated in the following early poem:

A Skeltonicall continued ryme, in praise of my New-found-Land

Although in cloaths, company, buildings faire

With England, New-found-land cannot compare:

Did some know what contentment I found there,

Alwayes enough, most times somewhat to spare,

With little paines, lesse toyle, and lesser care,

Exempt from taxings, ill newes, Lawing, feare,

If cleane, and warme, no matter what you weare,

Healthy, and wealthy, if men carefull are,

With much-much more, then I will now declare,

(I say) if some wise men knew what this were

(I doe beleeue) they'd live no other where.

From 'The First Booke of Qvodlibets'

Composed and done at Harbor-Grace in

Britaniola, anciently called Newfound-Land

by Governor Robert Hayman - 1628.

A Newfoundland fishing outport

The European immigrants who settled in Newfoundland brought their knowledge, beliefs, loyalties and prejudices with them, but the society they built in the New World was unlike the ones they had left, and different from the ones other immigrants would build on the American mainland. As a fish-exporting society, Newfoundland was in contact with many places around the Atlantic rim, but its geographic location and political distinctiveness also isolated it from its closest neighbors in Canada and the United States. So much so, that this isolation can be felt even today. Internally, most of its population was spread widely around a rugged coastline in small outport settlements, many of them a long distance from larger centers of population and isolated for long periods by winter ice or bad weather. These conditions had an effect on the culture the immigrants had brought with them and generated new ways of thinking and acting, giving Newfoundland and Labrador a wide variety of distinctive customs, beliefs, stories, songs, and dialects.

The First World War had a powerful and lasting effect on the society. From a population of about a quarter of a million, 5,482 men went overseas. Nearly 1,500 were killed and 2,300 wounded. On July 1, 1916, at Beaumont-Hamel, France, 753 men of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment went over the top of a trench. The casualties were staggering; the next morning, only 68 men answered the roll-call. Newfoundland had lost about one-quarter of its young men in WWI and it has been suggested that this loss of so many men, proportionally speaking, in the prime of their lives contributed to the economic collapse that was to ultimately influence confederation with Canada. Even now, when the rest of Canada celebrates the founding of the country on July 1, many Newfoundlanders take part in solemn ceremonies of remembrance.

World War II also had a lasting impact on Newfoundland. In particular, the war ushered in an American presence at the military bases at Argentia,Gander, Stephenville, Goose Bay and St. John's. Interaction with the bases helped make cash a more widespread economic medium and consolidated a traditional admiration for America contrasted with apprehension of mainland Canada that is often forgotten today. It is also believed that American soldiers coined the word "Newfie".

Joseph Smallwood signing the document bringing Newfoundland into Confederation.

Newfoundland and Labrador is the youngest province in Canada, having enjoyed the status of a country until 1949. That year, the population voted 50.50% to 49.50% in favour of joining Canada, whose history, economy, culture and political institutions were significantly different. The referendum campaign was bitterly fought and interests in both Canada and Britain favoured and supported confederation with Canada. This is exemplified in the role of Jack Pickersgill, a western Canadian native and politician, who worked with the confederation camp during the campaign. Religion played a significant role in the final analysis as well with the Catholic church lobbying for continued independence. Financial incentives played their part, particularly the "baby bonus" which promised Newfoundlanders a cash sum for each child in a family. The Confederates were led by the charismatic Joseph Smallwood, a former radio broadcaster who had developed socialist political inclinations while working for a socialist newspaper in New York. His policies as premier would assume a form closer to liberalism than socialism. Mr. Smallwood led Newfoundland for decades as the elected premier following confederation and achieved a "cult of personality" amongst his many supporters that persisted long after his political defeat. Indeed, some homes actually had pictures of Joey in their living rooms in a place of prominence. It has been suggested that some members of the public regarded financial incentives like the baby bonus as the direct products of Smallwood's benevolence rather than their right as Canadian citizens.

The province's provincial flag, designed by Newfoundland artist Christopher Pratt, was officially adopted by the provincial legislature on May 28, 1980. Labrador has its own unofficial flag, created in 1973 by Mike Martin, former Member of the Legislative Assembly for Labrador South. There is also an unofficial "Pink, White and Green" flag of nineteenth century origins. It is now flown outside many Newfoundland homes, although it is mistaken by many tourists as the Irish flag. This "unofficial" flag has seen a rise in popularity in recent years, before which it had been relativly forgotten by a majority of Newfoundlanders. "Pink White and Green" emblems now appear on a mulititude of items in Newfoundland gift shops, and it has developed into a symbolic gesture of one's ties with one's Newfoundland heritage as well as a trendy fashion statement.

A nation?

File:1904-1975 Blue Ensign.png

Newfoundland Blue Ensign

At various points in its history (either with or without the inclusion of Labrador), Newfoundland has been a state, by the definition of the day. For example, the Dominion of Newfoundland existed with a level of legal "independence" from the British Empire equal to many other states considered "independent" at the time, such as Canada (Formally, Newfoundland did not finalize the process of becoming a full-status Dominion, due to not ratifying the Statute of Westminster, but this "official" distinction today amounts to historical trivia.) This historical legal independence, coupled with a largely ethnically homogenous population (more so than any other province in Canada), a number of unique cultural practices, and a distinct dialect of English have led many people, scholars and laypeople alike, to consider Newfoundland, or Newfoundlanders, a "nation".

In some cases, this leads directly to a pro-independence leaning in an individual's political beliefs. However, there are also many Newfoundlanders who have very strong "Newfoundland identity" - clearly defining themselves as "Newfoundlanders not Canadians" - who still have no particular desire for a dissolution of the union between Newfoundland and Canada created in 1949. This dichotomy clearly exposes the distinction between "nation" and "state".

Other features of Newfoundland and Newfoundlanders commonly cited as "National identity" features include:

• The Ode to Newfoundland, is used as a "national anthem" in many ceremonies. In one of the clearest uses, when rugby games are played between a Canadian team (e.g. the Nova Scotia Keltics) and the Newfoundland Rock, the Ode is sung for the Rock, and "O Canada" for the visiting "Canadian" team.
• Newfoundland demonstrates a separate and distinct democratic practice emphasizing the individual member over the party.
• Newfoundland has had a unique experience with institutionalized religion in the Canadian context.
• Newfoundland appears to employ cultural mores in day-to-day interaction markedly different from the rest of Canada provided one is paying close attention. These mores emphasize casual familiarity rather than formal respect irrespective of the size of the local population. They are readily apparent in St. John's, the second largest urban centre in Atlantic Canada. Newfoundland's social mores regarding status differentiation are consequently far more subtle than what one frequently encounters off island. Obviously, there is social stratification on the island. But, aggressive and overt presentation of social distinctions has a tendency to lead to instant social sanction. For example, political leaders who traditionally do well in Newfoundland are those who can successfully appear as "common" as possible while demonstrating authority legitimating personal characteristics by example. Mere words and cosmetic behaviors are often inadaquate. Symbolic pretensions to authority based on education, superior class position or raw power tend to fail quite miserably. This is a cultural fact that tends to be lost on non-islanders who originate from regions with a clearer class demarcation structure.
• Newfoundlanders consistently rank the highest on polls ascertaining identification with province over country. The results are commonly 70-80% favouring provincial identification. This is markedly higher than similar polls in Quebec, though those polls are clearly affected by the sovereignty issue.

Reputation

Among metropolitan Canadians, and particularly those who consider themselves cosmopolitan or live closer to the United States border, Newfoundland has a stereotypical reputation for bullheadedness or ignorance. This is perhaps due in part to the unique dialect of English found there as well as the island's ambiguous state in the federation. There are a number of "Newfie Jokes" told that are effectively racial jokes from a previous generation (previously targeting Polish, Italian, Japanese, or any of a number of other ethnic minorities) by those not from the Island. This can be likened to the negative connotations associated with the Southern United States in America.

Points of interest and major settlements

Cod, the traditional mainstay of Newfoundland fisheries

Being one of the first places discovered in the New World, Newfoundland has a rich history. St. John's is considered to be the oldest city in English speaking North America.

Newfoundland is home to two national parks. Gros Morne National Park is located on the west coast of Newfoundland and was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987 due to its complex geology and remarkable scenery. It is the largest national park in Atlantic Canada at 1 805 km² (697 sq. mi.). Terra Nova National Park, on the island's east side, preserves the rugged geography of the Bonavista Bay region and allows visitors to explore the historic interplay of land, sea and man.

Stephenville, a town of about 8000, once served as an airbase for the US Army and Air Force in the early 1940s to 1966. It is about 32 km (20 miles) north of its former train station, which is surrounded by the town of Stephenville Crossing.

Also on the West Coast, Corner Brook is situated in the Bay of Islands region. The major industry in Corner Brook is newsprint manufacturing, and is serviced by the Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Mill.

Sandy Point, which is located in St. George's Bay and north of the town of St. George's, was the first and largest settlement of the west coast. However, the last settler, Alphonsus Swyers, was forced to abandon it in 1973.

Island of Newfoundland

Barachois Pond Provincial Park is a provincial park that is considered to be a model forest.

Marble Mountain is a major attraction in the winter for skiers. It is said to be the best skiing east of the Rocky Mountains.

In March, the annual seal hunt (of the harp seal) takes place.

Newfoundland is also host to a well-recognized university, Memorial University of Newfoundland, based in St. John's.

Newfoundland has its own time zone (NST being UTC-3:30), one half hour ahead of the three other maritime Canadian provinces (AST being UTC-4) and 1.5 hours ahead of the East Coast of the U.S. (EST being UTC-5); it follows daylight time during the summer on the same schedule as throughout most of Canada (principle but not only exception being Saskatchewan).

Largest Municipalities (2001 population)

1. St. John's (98,182)
2. Mount Pearl (24,964)
3. Corner Brook (20,103)
4. Conception Bay South (19,772)
5. Grand Falls-Windsor (13,340)
6. Gander (9,651)
7. Paradise (9,598)
8. Stephenville (7,109)
9. Marystown (5,908)
10. Portugal Cove-St. Philip's (5,866)
11. Torbay (5,474)
12. Bay Roberts (5,237)
13. Clarenville (5,104)
14. Deer Lake (4,769)
15. Carbonear (4,759)
16. Channel-Port aux Basques (4,637)
17. Placentia (4,426)
18. Bonavista (4,021)
19. Bishop's Falls (3,688)

Further reading

• Prowse, D.W. 2002. A History of Newfoundland. Boulder Publications, Portugal Cove, Newfoundland.
• Neary, Peter. 1996. Newfoundland in the North Atlantic world, 1929-1949. McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal, Quebec.
• Gibbons, Henry K. 1997. The Myth and Mystery of John Cabot: The Discoverer of North America, Marten Cat Publishers, Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland.
• Harris, Michael. 1992. Rare Ambition: The Crosbies of Newfoundland. Penguin. ISBN 0-14-023220-6

Vintage literature

• Charles Pedley, History of Newfoundland, (London, 1863)
• Philip Tocque, Newfoundland as it Was and Is, (London, 1878)
• Joseph Hatton and Moses Harvey, Newfoundland: Its History and Present Condition, (Lonson, 1883)
• Arnold Kennedy, Sport and Adventure in Newfoundland and West Indies, (London, 1885)
• D. W. Prowse, History of Newfoundland, (second edition, London, 1897)
• Moses Harvey, Newfoundland, England's Oldest Colony, (London, 1897)
• F. E. Smith, The Story of Newfoundland, (London, 1901)
• Beckles Wilson, The Truth About Newfoundland, The Tenth Island, (second edition, London, 1901)
• J. P. Howley, Mineral Resources of Newfoundland, (St. John's, 1909)
• P. T. McGrath, Newfound in 1911, (London, 1911)
• Kevin Major, As Near To Heaven by Sea, (Toronto, 2001)
• John Gimlette, Theatre of Fish, (Hutchinson, London, 2005). ISBN 0-09-179519-2

References

^ Renouf, M.A.P. 1999 Prehistory of Newfoundland Hunter-Gatherers: Extinctions or Adaptations? World Archaeology 30: 403-420.

See also

• Newfoundland Irish
• Bacalao
• List of communities in Newfoundland and Labrador
• List of people of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Scouting in Newfoundland and Labrador

External links

• VisitNewfoundland.ca
• Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage (website from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, funded by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
• Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism
• Newfoundland: The Most Irish Place Outside of Ireland
• Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Archives
• Terra Nova National Park
• Newfoundland History (extensive site from Marianopolis College)
• Statistics Canada 2001 Census Information
• Religion, Society, and Culture in Newfoundland and Labrador

Commercial links

• NF Interactive
• Newfoundland Pictures