Canada's easternmost province is the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is situated within the nation's Atlantic area, and includes the mainland Labrador area, which is located northwest of the island of Newfoundland. Together, these two land masses encompass a combined area of 405,212 square kilometers or 156,500 square miles.
According to statistics, as of April 2011, the projected population of the province is 508,400. Approximately 94 percent of the population of the province resides on the Island of Newfoundland, comprising the smaller islands within the area. Over fifty percent of the population resides on the Avalon Peninsula. There are specific dialects on the island of French, Irish and English. In Labrador, the English language is similar to that of Newfoundland. On the mainland Labrador there are also languages of Inuktitut and Innu-aimun.
The city of St. John's is the biggest city and likewise the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. The city of St. John's is the 20th biggest Census Metropolitan Area within Canada. This city is home to approximately 40 percent of the province's population. It is home to the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition to being the seat of government, Saint John's is additionally home to the Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal, that is the highest court in the jurisdiction.
Formerly a colony and dominion of the United Kingdom, Newfoundland and Labrador became the tenth province to enter the Canadian Confederation on the 31st of March, 1949, as Newfoundland. An amendment was made to the Constitution of Canada on December 6, 2001, to officially change the name to Newfoundland and Labrador. Usually, in daily conversation, people from Canada still refer to the province itself as Newfoundland. They typically refer to the region located on the Canadian mainland as Labrador.
"Newfoundland" is a name which has its origins from English that means a "New Found Land", whereas the latin translation means "Terra Nova". It is uncertain where the origin of Labrador originates from; it has been credited to Joao Fernandes Lavrador, a Portugese explorer.
The province has undergone a depressed economy for numerous years. Newfoundland and Labrador saw record unemployment rates after the collapse of the cod fishery. During this time the population lessened by approximately 60,000. In recent years, the economy of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador has rebounded because of major oil discoveries offshore and mining. The population has stabilized, job loss rates went down and there has been a few moderate development within the area. Newfoundland and Labrador have become ridden of their "have not" status due to recorded record surpluses.
The largest share of GDP has been accounted for by service businesses like financial services, health care and public administration. Mining, manufacturing and oil production make up other significant industries. During the year 2010, the total workforce of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador was recorded at 263,800 people. In 2008, the GDP per capita was 61,763 that was 3rd only to Alberta and Saskatchewan among the Canadian provinces and was higher than the national average.
Even nowadays, the fishing trade still remains a very important part of the economy of the province Every year, the fishing economy contributes more than $440 million to the GDP and hires twenty six thousand people. The main fish harvested include haddock, cod, mackerel and herring, coming in at one hundred sixty five thousand tons during 2006, valued at approximately one hundred thirty million dollars. That same year, shellfish like for instance clams, crab and shrimp accounted for two hundred fifteen thousand tons at a value of three hundred sixteen million dollars. The seal hunt and its products accounted for $55 million.