I.

Introduction

Newfoundland and Labrador, one of the four Atlantic provinces of Canada, consisting of the island of Newfoundland and, on the mainland, a coastal portion of the Labrador region. The island of Newfoundland (108,860 sq km/42,031 sq mi) is situated off the eastern coast of North America between the Gulf of St Lawrence and the Atlantic Ocean. The Labrador portion (296,860 sq km/114,618 sq mi) is separated from the island by the Strait of Belle Isle; it is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the south and west by Quebec.

Newfoundland became part of Canada on March 31, 1949, as the tenth province. From 1927 to 1965 the name Newfoundland was used for both the island and the province, but in 1965 the province's name was changed to Newfoundland and Labrador. The name Newfoundland appears in British records as early as 1502 and originally was applied to all newly discovered areas in the North Atlantic.