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Newfoundland, facts about Newfoundland

Newfoundland is a province of Canada. Its island territories were once an independent dominion. The province consists of the island of Newfoundland, off the Atlantic coast of Canada and Labrador, on the mainland. The total area is 156,183 square miles.

Newfoundland, facts about Newfoundland
Flag of country	Coat of arms of Labrador and Newfoundland

The coast of the island is rocky, with many deep inlets. The central part is a rugged plateau, with many lakes and forests. The forests provide timber for wood-pulp and paper-making, one of Newfoundland's main industries. The island is rich in minerals, including gypsum, iron ore, lead and zinc. Only a small amount of land around the coast can be farmed. The climate is cool, with several months of heavy snow in winter.

Labrador consists of a plateau sloping steeply to the coast, which has many fjords (deep sea inlets). Only about 10,000 of Newfoundland's 509,200 people live in Labrador. About one-third of the land is covered with forests. In the northwest lies one of the world's richest deposits of iron ore. The climate is generally colder than that of Newfoundland.

Facts about Newfoundland
Newfoundland hotel in St. John's	Port in St. John's

Fishing is one of the province's main industries. Near the island lie shallow areas of sea known as the Banks, where there is abundant food for fish. About 200 million cod are caught there every year. St. John's, Newfoundland's capital, is the base for the fishing fleet. Newfoundland was Britain's oldest colony. It was claimed in 1583. It became self-governing in 1855, but after an economic crisis, sought help from Britain in 1934. It joined Canada in 1949.

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