| ||
| Country | Canada | |
| Geographic coordinates | 51°00′N57°00′W / 51.000°N 57.000°W /51.000; -57.000 | |
| Area - Total - Water | Ranked 7th 405,720 km2 31,240 km2 (7.7%) | |
| Coastline | 17,542 km (10,900 mi) | |
| Land borders | Quebec Nunavut (Killiniq Island) | |
| Maritime Borders | Nunavut Nova Scotia Prince Edward Island Saint Pierre and Miquelon | |
| Highest point | Mount Caubvick, 1,652 m (5,420 ft) | |
| Lowest point | Atlantic Ocean, 0 m | |
| Longest river | Churchill River 856 km (532 mi) | |
| Largest inland body of water | Smallwood Reservoir 31,153 km2 (12,028 sq mi) | |
| Climate: | Temperate toarctic | |
| Terrain: | mountains,subarctic,arctic | |
| Natural resources | iron ore,nickel,zinc,copper,gold,silver, fish, timber,petroleum,hydropower | |
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province in Canada. TheStrait of Belle Isle separates the province into two geographical regions,Labrador and the island ofNewfoundland.[1] The province also includes over seven thousand small islands.[2]
Labrador is the easternmost part of theCanadian Shield, a vast area of ancientmetamorphic rock comprising much of northeastern North America. Collidingtectonic plates have shaped much of the geology of Newfoundland.Gros Morne National Park has a reputation of being an outstanding example of tectonics at work,[3] and as such has been designated aWorld Heritage Site. TheLong Range Mountains on Newfoundland's west coast are the northeasternmost extension of theAppalachian Mountains.[1]
The fauna of Labrador is typical of that of similar areas of North America while the island of Newfoundland has considerably fewer mammals and no native amphibians.[4]
The north–south extent of the province (46°36'N to 60°22'N), prevalent westerly winds, cold ocean currents and local factors such as mountains and coastline combine to create the various climates of the province.[5] Northern Labrador is classified as apolartundra climate, southern Labrador is considered to be asubarctic climate while most of Newfoundland would be considered to be a cool summer subtype of ahumid continental climate.
The provincial capital isSt. John's, located at the extreme eastern edge of the island, Newfoundland, on theAvalon Peninsula. About half of the province's economy is based on its abundant natural resources, notably petroleum, minerals, forestry and the fishery.[6]
Newfoundland is roughly triangular, with each side being approximately 500 kilometres (310 mi), and having an area of 108,860 square kilometres (42,030 sq mi).[2] Newfoundland and its associated small islands have a total area of 111,390 square kilometres (43,010 sq mi).[7] Newfoundland extends between latitudes 46°36'N and 51°38'N.[8][9] It lies at similar latitudes toGreat Britain, and theKamchatka Peninsula inRussia.
Labrador is an irregular shape: the western part of its border withQuebec is thedrainage divide for theLabrador Peninsula. Lands drained by rivers that flow into theAtlantic Ocean are part of Labrador, the rest belongs to Quebec. Labrador's extreme northern tip, at 60°22'N, shares a short border withNunavut onKilliniq Island. Labrador's area (including associated small islands) is 294,330 square kilometres (113,640 sq mi).[7] Together, Newfoundland and Labrador make up 4.06% of Canada's area.[10]
The island of Newfoundland is separated from Labrador by theStrait of Belle Isle, which is 125 kilometres (78 mi) long and from 60 to 15 kilometres (37.3 to 9.3 mi) wide. In addition to the island of Newfoundland, the province is made up of 12 larger islands with a total area of 2,505 square kilometres (967 sq mi) and 7,170 smaller islands with a total area of 3,598 square kilometres (1,389 sq mi).[2]
A large part of the island of Newfoundland is an extension of theAppalachian system.[1] Major bays, peninsulas, river systems and mountain ranges are typically oriented southwest to northeast, parallel to the Appalachians.[11]
The eastern part of the island (theAvalon Peninsula andBurin Peninsula) is mostly folded sedimentary rocks with some intrusions of igneous rock and was part of southwestern Europe or Northern Africa about 250 million years ago.[1] The oldest rocks arePrecambrian. Small remnants ofCambrian andOrdovician rocks occur along the coast.Bell Island inConception Bay is a good example of gently sloping Ordovician sedimentary rock.[11] The plateau in theAvalon Peninsula averages 250 metres (820 ft) above sea level.[8]
The rest of the island is composed of a great variety ofPaleozoic rocks of sedimentary, igneous andmetamorphic origin. Along the west coast lie theLong Range Mountains, which are formed by an elongated block of the Earth's crust (ahorst) which rises to about 600 metres (2,000 ft) above sea level.[8] This part of the island was once part of the eastern margin of continental North America.[1] The island's highest points, theLewis Hills andGros Morne, are located within this mountain range. To the east is a depression orgraben about 30 kilometres (19 mi) wide, which is occupied byDeer Lake andGrand Lake. The main plateau of the central part of the island, which was once the sea bottom of the ancientIapetus Ocean,[1] has been heavily eroded by water and ice. Steep, solitary rock knobs, called "tolts" in Newfoundland (elsewhere known asinselbergs ormonadnocks), which jut 100 metres (330 ft) or more above the generally flat terrain are the remnants of a former higher landscape level.[12]Glaciers which helped shape these tolts left other evidence around Newfoundland. Large blocks of stone calledglacial erratics have been left scattered across much of the landscape.[13] The long narrow lakes of the west coast, notably those inGros Morne National Park resulted from glacial erosion. The lack of good soil on most parts of the island is a result of the scouring effect of glaciers during the most recentice age.[14] Newfoundland's nickname, "The Rock", is partially a result of the ice ages.
One of the most noteworthy aspects of Newfoundland geology is a result of the constant movement oftectonic plates. Approximately 500 million years ago, the action of these plates forced sections of the oceanic crust that had been underlying the Iapetus Ocean up and over the eastern margin of the North American plate.[15][16] Sections of oceanic crust which overlie continental crust are known asophiolites.Gros Morne National Park was designated aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site because it is one of the best places in the world to see the effects of plate tectonics[3] and one of the few places where rocks formed at theMohorovicic Discontinuity between thecrust and theupper mantle of the Earth can be seen.[15][17]
Another notable geology site is atMistaken Point, where rocks containing probably the oldestmetazoanfossils in North America and the most ancient deep-water marine fossils in the world are found preserved in layers ofvolcanic ash.[18]
Labrador is the easternmost part of theCanadian Shield and is composed of ancientPrecambrianigneous andmetamorphic rocks. The interior averages about 450 metres (1,480 ft) above sea level and is cut by large, east-flowing rivers, such as theChurchill River and its tributaries.[11] The northern coast is largely mountainous. TheTorngat Mountains,Kaumajet Mountains andKiglapait Mountains dominate this area with the highest peak beingMount Caubvick at 1,652 metres (5,420 ft).Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve was created in 2005 to preserve part of this area.[19]
Thebiosphere is subdivided into geographical regions calledbiomes.[20] Newfoundland and Labrador are divided into two biomes:tundra andtaiga. Northern Labrador is part of the tundra, while southern Labrador is part of the taiga. Newfoundland is not typical of either biome, as it lacks much of the plant and animal life that are characteristic to these biomes. During the lastice age the island of Newfoundland was completely covered by glaciers and swept clean of life.[20] Only those species which were able to recolonize the island after the glaciers retreated about 18,000 years ago are considered "native". Similarly, only freshwater-fish capable of survivingseawater swam to the island. Labrador has 42 native mammals, Newfoundland is home only to 14, with no snakes, raccoons, skunks or porcupines.[4] Large herds ofwoodland caribou can be found in the barren interior regions of the island. Two animals formerly resident in Newfoundland have been declaredextinct: thegreat auk, a flightless seabird, and theNewfoundland wolf, a subspecies of thegray wolf. TheLabrador duck, believed to have nested in Labrador, was one of the first North American bird species to be recorded as becoming extinct.[21]
Many herbaceous plants and insects occur on the island.[20] The west coast of the island supports over 200 plant species. Rare species such as Long's braya (Braya longii) and Fernald's braya (B. fernaldii), areendemic to Newfoundland.[22]Brayas are small perennial herbs of the familyBrassicaceae. They are only found on a narrow strip of land extending approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) on the extreme western portion of theGreat Northern Peninsula, a limestones barrens habitat. The braya population is low due to habitat loss from gravel quarrying. Researchers have only found three populations of Long's braya,[23] and 14 or 15 populations of Fernald's brayas.[24] Researchers have focused on how various types of disturbances affect the long-term viability of these populations. The Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, with many partners, is studying the rare plant flora of the island of Newfoundland and in 2002 announced a recovery plan for the braya species.[25]
Many plants and animals have been introduced to Newfoundland, either by chance or deliberately.[25]Moose,snowshoe hare,American red squirrel,eastern chipmunk, andmasked shrew, and others, were brought to the island through specific wildlife mandates. Moose were introduced in 1904 and are now the dominantungulate on the island. An unusual experiment conducted in 1964 involved relocating a small herd ofbison ontoBrunette Island inFortune Bay. The last of these animals is thought to have died by 1994.[26] Rats and mice were unintentionally introduced whilemink escaped from fur farms.[4]Coyotes are a very recent addition to the fauna of Newfoundland. How coyotes got onto the island is still debated by wildlife officials, but it is probable that they crossed the ice fromCape Breton Island in the 1980s.[4][27] Newfoundland has no nativeamphibians, butfrogs were introduced onto the island in the 1860s andtoads almost a century later.[28]
The marine waters around the province are considered boreal, or sub-Arctic, in nature.[20] A great deal of the coastline is rock-strewn, allowing an extensive variety of plant and animal life to thrive.[20] The leading plants of the shoreline are the large brownseaweeds, such as bladder, forked and knottedwracks, and winged and sugarkelps, though there are also a number of red and green seaweeds present. Common animals of the seashore region includebarnacles,tortoiseshell limpet,common periwinkle,blue mussels,sea anemones,sea slugs,sea urchins,starfish, and rockcrabs.[20] The deeper waters are home to a variety of fish, such asAtlantic cod,sculpins andcunners,halibut,haddock,sharks, and marine mammals, such asdolphins,porpoises, andwhales. Whales seen off Newfoundland includepilot whales,minkes,sei whales,fin whales andhumpbacks.Harp andhooded seals are usually found in the spring, giving birth on coastal ice floes.[20]
The tundra is a sub-Arctic zone with long, cold winters and short, warm summers.[5][29]Precipitation is low. Soil a meter below ground and deeper is permanently frozen (permafrost), which does not allow water to drain easily through the soil, so it collects in shallow pools. Trees and shrubs are stunted since their roots cannot grow into the permafrost. Lowshrubs,lichens,mosses, and small herbaceous plants are found instead. The most common mammals on the tundra are thebarren-ground caribou,Arctic wolf,Arctic fox,Arctic hare,lemmings, andvoles. Occasional sightings ofmuskoxen have been made nearCape Chidley,[30] Labrador's most northerly point. Thepolar bear is the dominant carnivore of the tundra, but is an occasional visitor to coastal Newfoundland, especially in the spring. Many birds migrate to Labrador in spring to lay their eggs and raise their young before returning south for the winter, including thecommon eider,harlequin duck,[31]common redpoll andAmerican pipit.[32] The Labrador tundra is also permanent home toptarmigan.
Southern Labrador is mostly taiga. It is characterized by low winter temperatures, a longer growing season, and more precipitation than the tundra. Soils are typically lacking important nutrients such asnitrogen andphosphorus.[20] The taiga is dominated byconiferous trees, notablybalsam fir andblack spruce, though the deciduouswhite birch,trembling aspen andmountain ash are also present.[20] The most common animals are themoose,American black bear,Canada lynx,red fox,pine marten,short-tailed weasel, andAmerican mink.Beavers,muskrats, andriver otters thrive in the many rivers, streams, and wetlands.[20]Willow ptarmigan,common raven, andblackpoll warbler inhabit the forests of southern Labrador whilegolden eagles,rough-legged hawks andperegrine falcons nest on steep cliffs.[32]
The province has been divided into seven climate types,[29] but in broader terms Newfoundland is considered to be a cool summer subtype of ahumid continental climate, which is greatly influenced by the sea since no part of the island is more than 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the ocean. Northern Labrador is classified as apolartundra climate, southern Labrador is considered to have asubarctic climate.
Monthly average temperatures, rainfall and snowfall for four communities are shown in the attached graphs.St. John's represents the east coast,Gander the interior of the island,Corner Brook the west coast of the island andWabush the interior of Labrador. The detailed information and information for 73 communities in the province is available from a government website.[33] The data used in making the graphs is the average taken over thirty years. Error bars on the temperature graph indicate the range of daytime highs and night time lows. Snowfall is the total amount which fell during the month, not the amount accumulated on the ground. This distinction is particularly important for St. John's where a heavy snowfall can be followed by rain so that no snow remains on the ground.
Surface water temperatures on the Atlantic side reaches a summer average of 12 °C (54 °F) inshore and 9 °C (48 °F) offshore to winter lows of −1 °C (30 °F) inshore and 2 °C (36 °F) offshore. Sea temperatures on the west coast are warmer than Atlantic side by 1 to 3 °C (approximately 2 to 5 °F). The sea keeps winter temperatures slightly higher and summer temperatures a little lower on the coast than at places inland. The maritime climate produces more variable weather, ample precipitation in a variety of forms, greaterhumidity, lower visibility, more clouds, less sunshine, and higher winds than a continental climate.[34] Some of these effects can be seen in the graphs. Labrador's climate differs from that of the island not only because it is further north, but also because the interior does not see the moderating effects of the ocean.
Weather systems affecting Newfoundland usually originate from the west, over mainland Canada, or from the southwest, from the east coast of the United States.Cyclonic storms consist of an area oflow atmospheric pressure characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotatecounter clockwise in theNorthern Hemisphere. Such storms passing to the south of the island bring strong northeasterly winds sweeping in off the openNorth Atlantic Ocean. These storms are sometimes referred to asnor'easters and are responsible for the worst of Newfoundland's weather. High windssweeping over a large surface of ocean can build up very large waves. The frequency and severity of storms is greatest between November and March, although they may occur at any time of the year.[34]
One of these storms was the "Independence Hurricane", which struck eastern Newfoundland on September 9, 1775. About 4000 sailors, mostly from the British Isles, were reported to have been drowned.[34]
During a violent storm on February 15, 1982, the drilling rigOcean Ranger capsized and sank on the Grand Banks, 300 kilometres (190 mi) east of St. John's.[35] The entire 84-man crew perished, making it the worst Canadian marine disaster in decades.
Newfoundland and Labrador has the strongest winds of any of the provinces, with most places having average annual wind speeds over 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph).[34]
Freezing rain is common in Newfoundland where it is known as "silver thaw".[34] Freezing drizzle or freezing rain occurs on average of 150 hours each winter, most commonly in March. One such storm struck St. John's on April 11, 1984, and lasted three days. Ice almost 15 centimetres (5.9 in) thick disrupted electrical power to 200,000 people on the Avalon Peninsula for days.[34]
Newfoundland receives less than 1600 hours of sunshine per year, much lower than the Canadian average of 1925 hours.[34] Summer months average 187 hours of sun while the December average is 60 hours.
Newfoundland is also known for its fog which occurs most often in the spring and early summer because of the contrast between sea and air temperatures.Argentia has 206 days of fog per year. Fog in Newfoundland is frequently accompanied by strong onshore winds; while usually winds disperse fog, here the fog is too widespread for this to occur.
| Location | July | January | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| °C | °F | °C | °F | |
| St. John's | 20/11 | 68/52 | −1/−9 | 30/16 |
| Gander | 21/11 | 71/51 | −3/−12 | 26/11 |
| Corner Brook | 22/13 | 71/55 | −3/−10 | 28/15 |
| Stephenville[37] | 20/13 | 68/55 | −2/−9 | 28/15 |
| Happy Valley-Goose Bay | 20/10 | 68/49 | −13/−23 | 9/−9 |
| Nain | 15/5 | 59/41 | −14/−23 | 7/−10 |
Of all the major Canadian cities, St. John's is the foggiest (124 days, next toHalifax's 122), snowiest (359 centimetres (141 in), next toQuebec City's 343 centimetres (135 in)), wettest (1514 millimetres (59.6 in), next to Halifax's 1491 millimetres (58.7 in)), windiest (24.3 km/h (15.1 mph) average speed, next toRegina's 20.7 km/h (12.9 mph)), and cloudiest (1,497 hours of sunshine, next toCharlottetown's 1,818 hours).[34] St. John's has one of the mildest winters in Canada (third mildest city next toVictoria andVancouver), yet has the most freezing rain days of any major Canadian city.[34]
Shallowsoil andbedrock deeply scored byglaciers are responsible for the numerouslakes and ponds, and short, swift flowingrivers scattered across Newfoundland and Labrador. The area of freshwater in Newfoundland and Labrador is 31,340 square kilometres (12,100 sq mi), covering 7.7% of the total surface of area of the province and accounting for 3.5% of the freshwater area of Canada.[10]
The west coast of Newfoundland borders on theGulf of St. Lawrence while all other coasts face theAtlantic Ocean. Labrador's coast borders theLabrador Sea, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. TheStrait of Belle Isle connects the Gulf of St. Lawrence with the Labrador Sea and is the narrowest channel separating Newfoundland from mainland Canada. TheCabot Strait separates Newfoundland fromCape Breton Island,Nova Scotia.
Thecontinental shelf off Newfoundland is known as theGrand Banks. The coldLabrador Current and the warmGulf Stream meet on the Grand Banks, making the area not only one of the richest fishing grounds in the world, but also one of the foggiest areas.[34] The Grand Banks are an area of significantpetroleum production withHibernia,White Rose andTerra Novaoil fields all located there.
Approximately 90% oficebergs in the North Atlantic come from about 100 iceberg-producingglaciers on theGreenland coast. Once detached from the glaciers, icebergs are transported southward through theDavis Strait by the Labrador Current.[38]
Approximately 40,000 medium to large icebergs annuallycalve from Greenland glaciers, and depending on wind, and air and water temperature, between 400 and 800 of these go as far south as 48° north latitude (St. John's).[38] Icebergs are most commonly seen in the waters off Newfoundland in the spring and early summer.Despite their size, the icebergs of Newfoundland move an average of 17 kilometres (11 mi) a day.[38] The average mass of icebergs in the Grand Banks area is between one and two hundred thousand tonnes.[38] These icebergs represent a significant threat toshipping and off-shoreoil platforms[39] and the hazard is aggravated by dense fog in this area.
During the first half of each year the waters off Newfoundland may become covered with floes ofsea ice or "pack ice".[34] While icebergs are composed of fresh water, pack ice is frozen sea water. The severity of ice varies considerably, depending on the strength and direction of the wind and air temperature. Most of the pack ice off Newfoundland's northern and eastern shores originates off Labrador. While some of the pack ice off the west coast also comes from the sea off Labrador via the Strait of Belle Isle, most of it originates in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Beginning in January the pack ice begins to advance south, borne by the Labrador Current until (usually) in April the rate of melting overtakes the rate of advance and the ice retreats northward. The leading edge of the pack ice is known as "The Front" and is important to the annualseal hunt off Newfoundland's north coast.[40]
Newfoundland is located in a uniquetime zone in North America.[9] It is a half an hour ahead of Atlantic Time, one and a half hours ahead of Eastern Canada and 4 ½ hours ahead of the west coast of the country.[9] Labrador operates on Atlantic Time, except for the coast betweenL'Anse au Clair andNorman's Bay, which is on Newfoundland time.[9]
All currency is in Canadian dollars.
Exploitation of natural resources is a major part of theeconomic geography of Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2005 thegross domestic product (GDP) of Newfoundland and Labrador was approximately fourteen billion dollars.[6]Service industries accounted for over $8 billion and resource-based activities such asmining,oil production,fishery and forest-based industries (sawmills andpaper mills) accounted for the remainder.
Mines in Labrador, theiron ore mine atWabush/Labrador City, and the newnickel mine inVoisey's Bay produced a total of $2.5 billion worth of ore in 2006. A new mine at Duck Pond (30 kilometres (18 mi) south of the now-closed mine atBuchans), started producingcopper,zinc,silver andgold in 2007 and prospecting for new ore bodies continues.[41] Mining accounted for 3.5% of the provincial GDP in 2006.[6] The province produces 55% of Canada's total iron ore.[42]Quarries producingdimension stone such asslate andgranite, account for less than $10 million worth of material per year.[43]
Oil production from offshoreoil platforms onHibernia,White Rose andTerra Novaoil fields on theGrand Banks was 110 million barrels (17,000,000 m3) which contributed 15% of the provinces GDP in 2006. Total production from the Hibernia field from 1997 to 2006 was 733 million barrels (116,500,000 m3) with an estimated value of $36 billion. Remaining reserves are estimated at almost 2 billion barrels (320,000,000 m3) as of December 31, 2006. Exploration for new reserves is ongoing.[6]
Thefishing industry remains an important part of the provincial economy, employing 26,000 and contributing over $440 million to the GDP. The combined harvest of fish such ascod,haddock,halibut,herring andmackerel was 150,000 tonnes (165,000 tons) valued at about $130 million in 2006.Shellfish, such ascrab,shrimp andclams, accounted for 195,000 tonnes (215,000 tons) with a value of $316 million in the same year. The value of products from theseal hunt was $55 million.[6]
Aquaculture is a new industry for the province, which in 2006 produced over 10,000 tonnes ofAtlantic Salmon,mussels andSteelhead Trout worth over $50 million.[6]
Newsprint is produced by thepaper mill inCorner Brook, (capacity of 420,000 tonnes (462,000 tons) per year). Until March 31, 2009, there was a second papermill located inGrand Falls, but due to the2008/2009 economic crisis the mill shut down.[44] The value of newsprint exports varies greatly from year to year, depending on the global market price. Lumber is produced by numerous mills in Newfoundland.
Agriculture in Newfoundland in limited to areas south ofSt. John's, nearDeer Lake and in theCodroy Valley. Elsewhere the soil is mostly unsuitable for farming.Potatoes,rutabagas, known locally as "turnips",carrots andcabbage are grown for local consumption. Wildblueberries,partridge berries andbakeapples are harvested commercially and used injams andwine making.[45]
Newfoundland and Labrador had a population of 505,469 (2005 estimate) and apopulation density of 1.27 per km2 (3.1 per sq mi). The provincial capital isSt. John's, which had a population of 181,113 in 2005). St John's is located at the extreme eastern edge of the island on theAvalon Peninsula. The other cities areMount Pearl andCorner Brook.
Human inhabitation in Newfoundland and Labrador can be traced back over 9,000 years to the people of the Maritime Archaic Tradition.[46] They were gradually displaced by people of theDorset Culture[47] and finally by theInnu andInuit in Labrador and theBeothuks on the island. The oldest known European contact was made over a thousand years ago when theVikings briefly settled inL'Anse aux Meadows. Five hundred years later, European explorers (John Cabot,Gaspar Corte-Real,Jacques Cartier and others), fishermen from England,Portugal, France and Spain andBasquewhalers (the remains of several whaling stations have been found atRed Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador) began exploration and exploitation of the area.
Early European (primarily from England, Ireland and France) settlement in Newfoundland was confined to the coast. The richcod fishery on theGrand Banks and along the shore of the island was the primary reason for these settlements. The rugged shoreline provided many small, but isolated, harbors (outports) from which to conduct the fishery. TheAvalon Peninsula was, and is, the most populous part of the island, and as such had the best developed system of early roads and trails. Transportation between communities on other parts of the coast, especially the south coast betweenFortune Bay andPort aux Basques, was exclusively by boat. Almost all communities are now accessible by roads which are part of theprovincial road system. The now-defunctNewfoundland Railway, built in the latter part of the 19th century, and the development of thelead,zinc andcopper mine atBuchans and thepaper mill inGrand Falls in the early 20th century marked the beginning of the settlement of the interior of the island. Despite these developments the majority of the population is still found along the coast.[48]
Settlement ofLabrador followed a similar pattern, with the interior being settled only in the latter part of the 20th century with the development of theiron ore mines atWabush,hydroelectric generation atChurchill Falls and the military base atGoose Bay.
Aboriginal peoples include theInnu,Inuit andMétis ofLabrador and theMi'kmaq in Newfoundland. One aboriginal group, theBeothuks, became extinct in the early 19th century.
Geography of theprovinces and territories ofCanada | |
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