Newfoundland and Labrador is one of 13 provinces and territories of Canada located in the Atlantic region of the country. It is easternmost province, joined Confederation last in 1949 , with an economy based on natural resources, fishing, offshore oil production.
Newfoundland and Labrador is Canada’s easternmost province on the Atlantic coast. Newfoundland and Labrador include the island of Newfoundland and the mainland Labrador to the northwest. Newfoundland includes more than 7000 other small islands.
Newfoundland has a varied climate based on its geography:
• Northern Region
Subarctic climate with long, harsh winters and shorter, cooler summers.
• Southern Region
Milder climate, particularly in coastal areas, with moderate temperatures.
Average Age
46 years
Median Age
47 years
Female (51.1%)
Male (48.9%)
The 2021 census found the racial and ethnic composition of Newfoundland was:
White (93.7%)
Indigenous (4.2%)
South Asian (0.6%)
Chinese (0.4%)
Black (0.3%)
Filipino (0.3%)
Arab (0.2%)
Latin American (0.1%)
Southeast Asian (0.1%)
Other (0.1%)
English (97.2%)
French (0.5%)
Other (2.3%)
Average Household Income
$63,800
Median Household Income
$57,100
Poverty Rate
15.3%
Indigenous peoples including the Beothuk, Mi'kmaq, Innu, and Inuit inhabited the region.
Norse explorers established a short-lived settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows, the first known European presence in North America.
John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) claimed the island for England, leading to centuries of seasonal fishing settlements.
Newfoundland gained representative government from Britain.
During the Great Depression, Newfoundland surrendered self-government to Britain, eventually choosing to join Canada in 1949 as the tenth province.
The cod moratorium ended the 500-year-old fishing industry that had defined Newfoundland's culture and economy.