|
|
| Newfoundland
and Labrador |
|
|
Motto:
Quaerite Prime Regnum Dei
(Latin:
Seek ye first the kingdom
of God) |
 |
| Flower |
Pitcher Plant |
| Tree |
Black Spruce |
| Bird |
Atlantic Puffin |
| Capital |
St.
John's |
Area
Total
- Land
- Water (%
of total) |
405,212 km˛
373,872 km˛
31,340 km˛ (7.7%) |
| Time
zone |
UTC-3.5
for Newfoundland
UTC-4
for Labrador |
Newfoundland and Labrador is
a province of Canada, the tenth
to join the Confederation. Geographically,
the province consists of the island
of Newfoundland and the mainland
Labrador on Canada's Atlantic
coast. On entry into Canada in
1949, the entire province was
known as Newfoundland, but since
1964, the province's government
has referred to itself as the
"Government of Newfoundland
and Labrador", and on December
6, 2001, an amendment was made
to the Constitution of Canada
to change the province's official
name to "Newfoundland and
Labrador".
People from Newfoundland are
called "Newfoundlanders"
(and at times "Newfies")
while people from Labrador are
called "Labradorians".
Newfoundland has its own dialects
of the English, French, and Irish
Gaelic languages. Labrador has
its own dialects of Innu-aimun
and Inuktitut.
Geography
In 1854, Newfoundland was granted
responsible government by the
British government. In an 1855
election, Philip Francis Little,
a native of Prince Edward Island,
won a majority over Sir Hugh Hoyles
and the Conservatives. Little
formed the first administration
from 1855 to 1858. Newfoundland
rejected confederation with Canada
in the 1869 general election.
As part of the Anglo-French Entente
Cordiale of 1904, France abandoned
the `French Shore', or the west
coast of the island, to which
it had had rights since the Peace
of Utrecht of 1713. Possession
of Labrador was disputed by Quebec
and Newfoundland until 1927, when
the British privy council demarcated
the western boundary, enlarged
Labrador's land area, and confirmed
Newfoundland's title to it.
Newfoundland remained a colony
until acquiring dominion status
on September 26, 1907, along with
New Zealand. It successfully negotiated
a trade agreement with the United
States but the British government
blocked it after objections from
Canada. The Dominion of Newfoundland
reached its golden age under Prime
Minister Sir Robert Bond of the
Liberal Party.
In 1934, the Dominion gave up
its self-governing status as the
Commission of Government took
its place. Following World War
II, the Commission held elections
for the Newfoundland National
Convention which debated the dominion's
future in 1946 and 1947. Two referenda
resulted in which Newfoundlanders
decided to end the commission[1],
and joined the Canadian Confederation
in 1949.
