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Newfoundland and Labrador (view source)
Revision as of 17:25, September 27, 2009
, 17:25, September 27, 2009no edit summary
'''Newfoundland''' is a province of Canada, and an island off the [[Canada|Canadian]] mainland, and is the oldest English dependency in the [[New World]] and until 1949 was part of the [[British Empire]].
'''Newfoundland''' is a province of Canada, and an island off the Canadian mainland. It is the oldest English dependency in the New World; until 1949 when it joined [[Canada]] it was part of the [[British Empire]].
The province is officially the '''Province of Newfoundland and Labrador''' and includes all of the island of Newfoundland, as well as Labrador, a large, lightly populated area of mainland. Before 2001 the official name was "Newfoundland," and most people still call it that, for Labrador has only 28,000 people or 6% of the total population. Since World War II, people from Newfoundland are often called "newfies", a term that the locals dislike, and disparaging jokes about stupidity are common in Canada.<ref> see George Morley Story et al. ''Dictionary of Newfoundland English'' (1990) [http://books.google.com/books?id=XrVbk3EndTcC&pg=PA343&dq=newfies&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=0#v=onepage&q=newfies&f=false p. 343 online] </ref> The capital is [[St. John's]]. The total area is 405,720 km<sup>2</sup>.
Newfoundland became a self governing dominion in 1855, but lost independence when it went bankrupt in the 1930s, and reverted to the status of a colony ruled by London. Wartime prosperity gave the colony the chance to choose its own future, and after a hotly contested vote it joined Canada in 1949.
Newfoundland became a self governing dominion in 1855, but lost independence when it went bankrupt in the 1930s, and reverted to the status of a colony ruled by London. Wartime prosperity gave the colony the chance to choose its own future, and after a hotly contested vote it joined Canada in 1949.
The population in 2009 was 509,000, only 1.6% of the national total. Many residents migrate permanently, and in recent years there has been a large temporary migration to the oilfields of Alberta. Since the utter collapse of the cod fisheries in the 1990s, and the failure of various government sponsored industrialization schemes, the economy has been hard-pressed. The per capita provincial income of $CAN 30,500 (2008) is well below the national average.
The population in 2009 was 509,000, only 1.6% of the national total. Many residents migrate permanently, and in recent years there has been a large temporary migration to the oilfields of Alberta. Since the utter collapse of the cod fisheries in the 1990s, and the failure of various government sponsored industrialization schemes, the economy has been hard-pressed. The per capita provincial income of $CAN 30,500 (2008) is well below the national average.