 Satellite view of the Avalon Peninsula in the winter | |
  Avalon Peninsula (Newfoundland) Location of the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland | |
| Geography | |
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| Location | North America |
| Adjacent to | Atlantic Ocean |
| Area | 9,220.61 km2 (3,560.10 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
Canada | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 270,348 (2016) |
TheAvalon Peninsula (French:Péninsule d'Avalon) is a largepeninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island ofNewfoundland inCanada. It is 9,220.61 square kilometres (3,560.10 sq mi) in size.[1]
The peninsula is home to 270,348 people, about 52% of the province's population, according to the 2016 Canadian census. The peninsula is the location ofSt. John's, the provincial capital and largest city.[2] It is connected to the main section of the island by the 5 km (3 mi) wide Isthmus of Avalon. The peninsula protrudes into the rich fishing zones near theGrand Banks. Its four major bays (Trinity Bay,Conception Bay,St. Mary's Bay andPlacentia Bay) have long been the centre of Newfoundland's fishing industry.
The Avalon Peninsula is pinched into smaller peninsulas formed by St. Mary's Bay and Conception Bay. St. John's is located in the northeast of the peninsula.
The Avalon Peninsula is a noted region forPrecambrianfossils, and manyLagerstätten of the diverseEdiacaran biota are found on the peninsula.Mistaken Point is the original location of the first documentedEdiacaran,Aspidella terranovica (which gets itsspecific name from Newfoundland). The peninsula gives its name to the ancient micro-continentAvalonia of which it was part.
In 1497, explorerJohn Cabot led an expedition from England in an attempt to reach theSpice Islands in theEast Indies. He is said to have reached what is now known asBonavista. The English established their first permanent settlement atCuper's Cove in 1610.
Sir George Calvert was later given a large land holding on the peninsula in 1619 fromWilliam Vaughan, whose previous colony ofCambriol failed. The initial colony ofFerryland grew to a population of 100, becoming the first successful permanent settlement onNewfoundland island. In 1623 Calvert was given aroyal charter extending the royal lands and granting them the nameProvince of Avalon "in imitation of OldAvalon inSomersetshire whereinGlassenbury stands, the first fruits of Christianity inBritain as the other was in that party of America". Calvert wished to make the colony a refuge for Roman Catholics facing persecution in England. In 1625, Calvert was elevated to thePeerage of Ireland as the 1stBaron Baltimore.
A series of crises and calamities led Lord Baltimore to quit the colony in 1629 for "some other warmer climate of this new world", which turned out to beMaryland, in the Chesapeake Bay Colony. His family maintained agents to govern Avalon until 1637, when the entire island ofNewfoundland was granted by charter toSir David Kirke andthe 3rd Marquess of Hamilton.
In 1696, duringKing William's War, the French destroyed many English villages in theAvalon Peninsula Campaign. They had settled along the St. Lawrence River and from the Atlantic coast to Quebec and Montreal.
DuringQueen Anne's War,CommodoreJohn Leake of theRoyal Navy led anexpedition aimed at capturing French ships around the peninsula and burning French settlements. The expedition was largely successful. During this same conflict, the French attempted to besiege the fortified English port ofSt. John's, butwere unsuccessful. They later returned andcaptured the town, burning it to the ground.
In the late eighteenth century, the longstanding rivalry between Great Britain and France erupted again in theSeven Years' War. It was fought in the North American colonies as well, where it was known to British colonists as theFrench and Indian War. TheBattle of Signal Hill was fought on the peninsula in 1762. In this engagement, British soldiers and artillery under the command ofWilliam Amherst drove the French occupants of St. John's fromSignal Hill and intothe town's fort, where they soon surrendered.
47°17′N53°21′W / 47.29°N 53.35°W /47.29; -53.35
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