About Newfoundland

The island of Newfoundland is located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Newfoundland and Labrador is Canada's most easterly province and it’s newest, having joined Confederation in 1949.

The province has a population of just over 500,000 spread over a large landmass (405,720 sq. km.) almost five times the size of Ireland. Slightly more than half of the people make their homes in small villages strung along the rocky and rugged coastline. The remainder live in cities and towns, the largest of which is the provincial capital of St. John's.  St. John's is the most easterly city of North America.

Ireland Newfoundland Map

The population of Newfoundland and Labrador came mostly from the south and southeast of Ireland and the southwest of England. Migration to the island was directly linked to the fishery and occurred mainly between the mid-eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries. Many Newfoundland names are directly linked to their Irish roots, with names like Aylward, Byrne, Cahill, Doyle, Hogan, Kiely, Lawlor, Mooney, Murphy, Power, Walsh, and Whalen being the norm.

The economy of Newfoundland depends heavily on its natural resources, primarily offshore oil and gas, minerals extraction, forestry and fisheries. Following the 1992 cod fishing moratorium, the focus of the economy has migrated from the fisheries to offshore oil and gas and service industries. Other key sectors include tourism and information communications technology. In 2007, Newfoundland and Labrador lead the Canadian economy with a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 7.9%. The 2007 GDP was approximately $30 Billion Canadian, a significant proportion of which came from increases in crude oil exports at a higher rate.

Newfoundland’s vibrant culture has been influenced by a number of key factors including: its isolation as an Atlantic Island on the edge of the North American continent; the importance of community and family in small rural villages; the traditional economic dependence on the ocean; and the concentrated migration from Southeast Ireland and Southwest England. Some Irish traditions that have been transferred to Newfoundland include mummers (wren boys), ballad and trad sessions, farming techniques, and storytelling.

For more information about Newfoundland we recommend the following links:

Cape St. Mary's, Newfoundland