Newfoundland (island)

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Newfoundland

Sobriquet: Terra Nova
Geography
Newfoundland (island) (Newfoundland)
Location	Atlantic Ocean
Coordinates	49°N 56°W / 49°N 56°W / 49; -56
Area	111,390 square kilometres (43,010 sq mi) (16th)
Coastline	9,656 kilometres (6,000 mi)
Highest point	The Cabox (814 metres (2,670 ft))
Country
Canada
Province	Newfoundland and Labrador
Largest city	St. John's (100,646)
Demographics
Population	479,105[1] (as of 2006)
Density	4.30 people/km2
Ethnic groups	English, Irish, Some Scottish and French
Additional Information Longest River:Exploits River (246 kilometres (153 mi))[2] Seat of Government: Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (http://www.gov.nl.ca) Members of the Canadian House of Commons: 6 (of 7 in NL and 308 total) Members of the Canadian Senate: 6 (of 6 in NL and 105 total) Members of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly: 44 (of 48 total) Newfoundland Tricolour Flag (unofficial)

Newfoundland — pronunciation (help·info) IPA: /ˈn(j)ufənˌlænd/ (French: Terre-Neuve, Irish: Talamh an Éisc) — is a large Canadian island 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) off the east coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The island of Newfoundland (originally called Terra Nova, "New Land" in Latin, Portuguese, and Italian) was "discovered" and named by the Italian John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto), working under contract to England on his expedition from Bristol, England in 1497. This discovery is considered by historians as having laid the initial foundation of the British Empire. The province where this island is located was also called "Newfoundland" until 2001, when its name was changed to "Newfoundland and Labrador" (the postal abbreviation was later changed from NF to NL).

L'Anse aux Meadows was a Norse settlement on the northernmost tip of Newfoundland, that has been dated to be approximately 1000 years old, making it the only undisputed evidence of Pre-Columbian contact between the Old and New Worlds, if the Norse-Inuit contact on Greenland is not counted. It is a likely location of Vinland, although this has been disputed.

The island of Newfoundland is separated from the Labrador Peninsula by the Strait of Belle Isle and from Cape Breton Island by the Cabot Strait. It blocks the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River, creating the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the world's largest estuary. Newfoundland's nearest neighbour is the tiny French overseas community of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

With an area of 108,860 square kilometers (41,700 sq mi)^[3], Newfoundland is the world's 16th largest island, and Canada's fourth-largest island. The provincial capital, St. John's, is located on the southeastern coast of the island; Cape Spear, just south of the capital, is arguably North America's easternmost point. As of 2001, the island of Newfoundland had a population of 466,172. It is common to consider all directly neighbouring islands such as New World, Twillingate, Fogo and Bell Island to be 'part of Newfoundland' (as distinct from Labrador), and by that measure, Newfoundland and its associated small islands have a total area of 111,390 square kilometers (43,008 sq mi).^[4], and a population of 479,105 as of 2006.^[5]

Newfoundland has a dialect of English known as Newfoundland English and a dialect of French known as Newfoundland French. It once had a dialect of Irish known as Newfoundland Irish, as well as an Amerindian language, Beothuk.

According to 2006 official Census Canada statistics, 57% of responding Newfoundlanders and Labradorians claim British or Irish ancestry, with 43.2% claiming at least one English parent, 21.5% at least one Irish parent, and 7% at least one parent of Scots origin. Additionally 6.1% claimed at least one parent of French ancestry.^[6]

Contents 1 First inhabitants 2 European discovery, colonization, and settlement 3 Pre-Confederation and current Provincial Anthem 4 Points of interest and major settlements 5 Fauna and flora 6 Notable Newfoundlanders 7 Further reading 7.1 Modern literature 7.2 Vintage literature 8 References 9 See also 10 External links

[edit] First inhabitants

The first inhabitants of Newfoundland were the probable ancestors of the Beothuk inhabitants at the time of European contact. Beothuk means "people" in the Beothuk language. The origins of the Beothuks are uncertain, but it appears that they were a native group that came from Labrador. The culture is now extinct, remembered only in museum, historical and archaeological records. Shanawdithit, the last known Beothuk (a woman), died in St. John's in 1829 of tuberculosis.

It is probable that the natives described by the Norsemen as skraelings were Beothuk people of Labrador and Newfoundland. The first conflicts between Europeans and native peoples may have occurred around 1006 at L'Anse aux Meadows when parties of Norsemen attempted to establish permanent settlements along the coast of Newfoundland. According to the Icelandic sagas, the native skraelings responded so ferociously that the newcomers eventually withdrew and apparently gave up their original intentions to settle.

When other Europeans arrived, beginning with John Cabot in 1497, contact with the Beothuks was established. Estimates of the number of Beothuks on the island at this time vary, ranging from 1,000 to 5,000.

As European settlement became year-round and expanded to new areas of the coast the area available to the Beothuks to harvest the marine resources they relied upon was diminished. By the beginning of the nineteenth century there were few Beothuks remaining, many having been killed by settlers or having died as a result of starvation and diseases brought on by the European settlers which their immune systems could not handle. Government attempts to open a dialogue with the native peoples of Newfoundland came too late to save them.

Some Newfoundland residents can trace a clear Native American ancestry, mostly Mi'kmaq.

[edit] European discovery, colonization, and settlement

Newfoundland is the site of the only authenticated Norse (mostly Greenlandic Icelanders) settlement in North America, discovered by Norwegian explorer Dr. Helge Ingstad and his wife, archaeologist Anne Stine Ingstad, at L'Anse aux Meadows in 1960. The site of multi-year archaeological digs in the 1960s and 1970s, the settlement dating to more than 500 years before John Cabot, contains the earliest known European structures in North America. Named a World Heritage site by UNESCO, it is believed to be the Vinland settlement of explorer Leifr Eiriksson (the Icelandic Skálholt Vinland Map of 1570 refers to the area as "Promontorium Winlandia" and correctly shows it on a 51°N parallel with Bristol, England). The Norse stayed for a relatively short period of time, believed to be between 999 and 1001 AD.

Other speculative discoverers of the island would fall to other nationalities of Europe. The Irish Saint Brendan, who has been popularized in Newfoundland song 'Saint Brendan's Voyage’, is noted among possible discoverers of Newfoundland. Welsh folklore makes note of explorer and Prince Madoc who landed in America in 1170. No detail is given of his route or the lands that was attributed to his discovery. Then there is the Scottish who claim that the Earl of the Orkneys, Prince Henry Sinclair had discovered the New World in the late 1300s. The Portuguese also lay claim to discovering the New World in 1431 when Prince Henry the Navigator discovered the Azores, by virtue of the existence of the Paris Map c. 1490 which depicts a group of three islands southwest of Iceland at roughly the same latitude as Ireland, Newfoundland and possibly some other, nearby islands (such as Cape Breton). These three islands are known as 'Islands of the Seven Cities' and 'The Isle of Brasile' said to be discovered by seven bishops. Documents from the voyages made by Bristol merchants in 1480 speak of a trip in search of the Isle of Brasile, to no avail.

After the departure of the Norse, the island would be left to the aboriginal populations for nearly 500 years until the island was rediscovered by the Italian navigator John Cabot (Zuan/Giovanni Cabotto), in 1497. The exact place where John Cabot landed is unknown, but popularly believed to be Cape Bonavista, along the island's East coast,^[7] although other sites along the East coast also have significant claims. Perhaps the site with the best claim is Cape Bauld, at the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula. It is supported by a document found in the Spanish National Archives written by a Bristol merchant which reports that the crew landed 1,800 miles (2,900 km) west of Dursey Head, Ireland (latitude 51° 35'N) which would put Cabot within sight of Cape Bauld. Also in this document is mention of an island that Cabot sailed past to go ashore on the mainland. This description fits with Cape Bauld theory, Belle Isle being not far offshore.^[7]

After Cabot, the first European visitors to Newfoundland were Portuguese, Spanish, French and English migratory fishermen. Late in the 17th century came Irish fishermen, who named the island Talamh an Éisc, meaning "land of the fish", or "the fishing grounds" in Irish Gaelic. This was to foreshadow the centuries of importance of Newfoundland's offshore fishing waters.

In 1583, when Sir Humphrey Gilbert formally claimed Newfoundland as a colony of England, he found numerous English, French and Portuguese vessels in St. John's. However there was no permanent population and Gilbert was lost at sea during his return voyage, thereby ending any plans of settlement.

On July 5, 1610, John Guy set sail from Bristol, England with 39 other colonists for Cuper's Cove. This, and other early attempts at permanent settlement failed to make a profit for the English investors, but some settlers remained anyway, forming the very earliest European population on the island. By 1620, the fishermen of England's West Country had excluded other nations from most of the east coast of Newfoundland, while fishermen from France dominated the island's south coast and Northern Peninsula.

After 1713, with the Treaty of Utrecht, the French ceded control of south and north shores of the island to the British, keeping only the nearby islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon located in the fish-rich Grand Banks off the south coast. Despite some early settlements by the English, permanent, year-round settlement of Newfoundland of migratory fishery workers was discouraged by the British. But with the geographic remoteness of its isolated harbours and convenience of year-round access to the fish stations without having to make the bi-annual voyage across the ocean, permanent settlement increased rapidly by the late 18th century, peaking in the early years of the 19th century.

The French name for the island is Terre Neuve, while the name "Newfoundland"' is one of the oldest European place names in Canada in continuous geographical and cartographical use, dating from a 1502 letter, and clearly stated in the following early poem:

A Skeltonicall continued ryme, in praise of my New-found-Land

Although in cloaths, company, buildings faire

With England, New-found-land cannot compare:

Did some know what contentment I found there,

Alwayes enough, most times somewhat to spare,

With little paines, lesse toyle, and lesser care,

Exempt from taxings, ill newes, Lawing, feare,

If cleane, and warme, no matter what you weare,

Healthy, and wealthy, if men carefull are,

With much-much more, then I will now declare,

(I say) if some wise men knew what this were

(I doe beleeue) they'd live no other where.

From 'The First Booke of Qvodlibets'

Composed and done at Harbor-Grace in

Britaniola, anciently called Newfound-Land

by Governor Robert Hayman - 1628.

The European immigrants who settled in Newfoundland brought their knowledge, beliefs, loyalties and prejudices with them, but the society they built in the New World was unlike the ones they had left, and different from the ones other immigrants would build on the American mainland. As a fish-exporting society, Newfoundland was in contact with many places around the Atlantic rim, but its geographic location and political distinctiveness also isolated it from its closest neighbours in Canada and the United States, so much so that this isolation can be felt even today. Internally, most of its population was spread widely around a rugged coastline in small outport settlements, many of them a long distance from larger centers of population and isolated for long periods by winter ice or bad weather. These conditions had an effect on the culture the immigrants had brought with them and generated new ways of thinking and acting, giving Newfoundland and Labrador a wide variety of distinctive customs, beliefs, stories, songs, and dialects.

The First World War had a powerful and lasting effect on the society. From a population of about a quarter of a million, 5,482 men went overseas. Nearly 1,500 were killed and 2,300 wounded. On July 1, 1916, at Beaumont-Hamel, France, 753 men of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment went over the top of a trench. The casualties were staggering; the next morning, only 68 men answered the roll-call. Newfoundland had lost about one-quarter of its young men in WWI and it has been suggested that this loss of so many men, proportionally speaking, in the prime of their lives contributed to the economic collapse that was to ultimately influence confederation with Canada. Even now, when the rest of Canada celebrates the founding of the country on July 1, many Newfoundlanders take part in solemn ceremonies of remembrance.

World War II also had a lasting impact on Newfoundland. In particular, the war ushered in an American presence at the military bases at Argentia, Gander, Stephenville, Goose Bay and St. John's. Interaction with the bases helped make cash a more widespread economic medium and consolidated a traditional admiration for the United States^{[citation needed]}.

Newfoundland and Labrador is the youngest province in Canada, which existed as a British colony until 1949, self-governing from 1855-1934, holding Dominion status from 1907-1949 (see Dominion of Newfoundland). In late 1948, the population voted 52.3% to 47.7%^[8] in favour of joining Canada, with opposition to Canada being concentrated in the capital, St. John's, and on the Avalon Peninsula. Newfoundland joined Canada on March 31, 1949. Union with Canada has done little to reduce Newfoundlanders' self-image as a unique group, with 72% identifying themselves as being primarily Newfoundlanders, secondarily Canadians, in 2003.^[9] Separatist sentiment is low, though—12% in the same 2003 study.

The referendum campaign was bitterly fought and interests in both Canada and Britain favoured and supported confederation with Canada. This is exemplified in the role of Jack Pickersgill, a western Canadian native and politician, who worked with the confederation camp during the campaign. Religion played a significant role in the final analysis as well with the Catholic church lobbying for continued independence. Financial incentives played their part, particularly the "baby bonus" which promised Newfoundlanders a cash sum for each child in a family. The Confederates were led by the charismatic Joseph Smallwood, a former radio broadcaster who had developed socialist political inclinations while working for a socialist newspaper in New York. His policies as premier would assume a form closer to liberalism than socialism. Mr. Smallwood led Newfoundland for decades as the elected premier following confederation and achieved a "cult of personality" amongst his many supporters that persisted long after his political defeat. Indeed, some homes actually had pictures of Joey in their living rooms in a place of prominence. It has been suggested that some members of the public regarded financial incentives like the baby bonus as the direct products of Smallwood's benevolence rather than their right as Canadian citizens.

The province's provincial flag, designed by Newfoundland artist Christopher Pratt, was officially adopted by the provincial legislature on May 28, 1980. Labrador has its own unofficial flag, created in 1973 by Mike Martin, former Member of the Legislative Assembly for Labrador South. There is also an unofficial "Pink, White and Green" flag of nineteenth century origins. The flag was flown on sealing vessels well into the 20th century. Its colours represent the symbolic union of Newfoundland's three historically dominant ethnic/religious group: English, Scottish and Irish respectively. Sealers also used the flag as a marker to distinguish cached seal pellets on the ice from the caches of other nations. It is now flown outside many Newfoundland homes, although it is mistaken by many tourists as the Irish flag. This "unofficial" flag has seen a rise in popularity in the St. John's area in recent years, before which it had been relatively forgotten by a majority of Newfoundlanders. "Pink White and Green" emblems now appear on a multitude of items in Newfoundland gift shops, and it has developed into a symbolic gesture of one's ties with one's Newfoundland heritage as well as a trendy fashion statement. A government sponsored poll in 2005 revealed that 75% of Newfoundlanders did not support adoption of the Tricolour flag as the province's official flag.^[10]

[edit] Pre-Confederation and current Provincial Anthem

The pre-Confederation and current Provincial Anthem is the Ode to Newfoundland. Written in the late 19th century, it continues to be heard at public events in Newfoundland. At most of these events, however, only the first and last verses are traditionally sung.

When sun rays crown thy pine clad hills,

And summer spreads her hand,

When silvern voices tune thy rills,

We love thee, smiling land,

We love thee, we love thee

We love thee, smiling land.

When spreads thy cloak of shimm'ring white,

At winter's stern command,

Thro' shortened day and starlit night,

We love thee, frozen land,

We love thee, we love thee,

We love thee, frozen land.

When blinding storm gusts fret thy shore,

And wild waves lash thy strand,

Thro' sprindrift swirl and tempest roar,

We love thee, windswept land,

We love thee, we love thee,

We love thee, windswept land.

As loved our fathers, so we love,

Where once they stood we stand,

Their prayer we raise to heav'n above,

God guard thee, Newfoundland,

God guard thee, God guard thee,

God guard thee, Newfoundland.

[edit] Points of interest and major settlements

Being one of the first places in the New World to which Europeans travelled, Newfoundland has a rich history of human settlement. St. John's is considered to be the oldest city in Canada and the oldest continuously settled location in English speaking North America. The St. John's census metropolitan area also includes several suburban communities including the city of Mount Pearl and the towns of Torbay, Portugal Cove, and Conception Bay South. The west coast of the island hosts Corner Brook, the province's third largest city, is situated on the Bay of Islands which was discovered by Captain James Cook.

The island of Newfoundland has extraordinary natural beauty and hosts numerous provincial parks such as Barachois Pond Provincial Park, considered to be a model forest, as well as two national parks.

• Gros Morne National Park is located on the west coast of Newfoundland and was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987 due to its complex geology and remarkable scenery. It is the largest national park in Atlantic Canada at 1,805 km² (697 sq mi). It continues to be a popular tourist destionation within the province for campers and hikers.

• Terra Nova National Park, on the island's east side, preserves the rugged geography of the Bonavista Bay region and allows visitors to explore the historic interplay of land, sea and man.

The island has many eco-tourism opportunities, ranging from sea kayaking, camping, fishing and hunting, to hiking. The International Appalachian Trail (IAT) is being extended along the island's mountainous west coast. On the east coast, the East Coast Trail extends through the Avalon Peninsula for 220 km (140 mi), beginning near Fort Amherst in St. John's and ending in Cappahayden, with an additional 320 km (200 mi) of trail under construction.

The Marble Mountain Ski Resort near Corner Brook is a major attraction in the winter for skiers in eastern Canada.

Other major communities include the following towns:

• Gander, home to the Gander International Airport.

• Grand Falls-Windsor, a service centre for the central part of the island.

• Stephenville, former location of the Ernest Harmon Air Force Base and currently the Stephenville Airport.

Cultural attractions include the provincial university, Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's and Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in Corner Brook, along with the College of the North Atlantic in Stephenville and other communities.

Bonavista, Placentia and Ferryland are all historic locations for various early European settlement or discovery activities. Tilting Harbour on Fogo Island is a Provincial Heritage District as well as a National Cultural Landscape District of Canada, one of only two national historic sites in Canada so recognized for their Irish heritage.

Entertainment opportunities abound in the island's 3 cities and numerous towns, particularly during summer festivals. For nightlife, George Street, located in downtown St. John's, is closed to traffic twenty hours per day, and is widely understood to have the most pubs per square foot of any street in North America. The Mile One Stadium in St. John's is the venue for large sporting and concert events in the province.

In March, the annual seal hunt (of the harp seal) takes place.

Largest Municipalities (2006 population)

1. St. John's (100,646)
2. Mount Pearl (24,671)
3. Conception Bay South (21,966)
4. Corner Brook (20,083)
5. Grand Falls-Windsor (13,558)
6. Paradise (12,584)
7. Gander (9,951)
8. Stephenville (6,588)
9. Portugal Cove-St. Philip's (5,575)
10. Torbay (6,281)
11. Marystown (5,436)
12. Bay Roberts (5,414)
13. Clarenville (5,274)
14. Deer Lake (4,827)
15. Carbonear (4,723)
16. Channel-Port aux Basques (4,319)
17. Placentia (3,898)
18. Bonavista (3,764)
19. Bishop's Falls (3,399)
20. Lewisporte (3,308)

[edit] Fauna and flora

[edit] Notable Newfoundlanders

[edit] Further reading

[edit] Modern literature

• Peter Neary. 1996. Newfoundland in the North Atlantic world, 1929-1949. McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal, Quebec.
• Henry K. Gibbons. 1997. The Myth and Mystery of John Cabot: The Discoverer of North America, Marten Cat Publishers, Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland.
• Michael Harris. 1992. Rare Ambition: The Crosbies of Newfoundland. Penguin. ISBN 0-14-023220-6
• Kevin Major, As Near To Heaven by Sea, (Toronto, 2001)
• John Gimlette, Theatre of Fish, (Hutchinson, London, 2005). ISBN 0-09-179519-2
• E. Annie Proulx, The Shipping News, (Simon & Schuster, 1993). ISBN 0-74322540-6
• Bernice Morgan, Random Passage, (Breakwater Books Ltd, 1992). ISBN 1550810510
• Bernice Morgan, Waiting for Time, (Breakwater Books Ltd, 1995). ISBN 1550810804
• Bernice Morgan, The Topography of Love, (Breakwater Books Ltd, 2000). ISBN 1550811576
• Wayne Johnston. 1999. "The Colony Of Unrequited Dreams". Vintage Canada, Toronto, Ontario. ISBN 978-0-676-97215-3 (0-676-97215-2)

[edit] Vintage literature

• D. W. Prowse, A History of Newfoundland (1895), current edition 2002, Boulder Publications, Portugal Cove, Newfoundland.
• Charles Pedley, History of Newfoundland, (London, 1863)
• Philip Tocque, Newfoundland as it Was and Is, (London, 1878)
• Joseph Hatton and Moses Harvey, Newfoundland: Its History and Present Condition, (London, 1883)
• Arnold Kennedy, Sport and Adventure in Newfoundland and West Indies, (London, 1885)
• Moses Harvey, Newfoundland, England's Oldest Colony, (London, 1897)
• F. E. Smith, The Story of Newfoundland, (London, 1901)
• Beckles Wilson, The Truth About Newfoundland, The Tenth Island, (second edition, London, 1901)
• J. P. Howley, Mineral Resources of Newfoundland, (St. John's, 1909)
• P. T. McGrath, Newfound in 1911, (London, 1911)

[edit] References

[edit] See also

Look up newfoundland (island) in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Bacalao
• The Rock
• Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Category:Newfoundland and Labrador

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Newfoundland

• VisitNewfoundland.ca
• Newfoundland.ws - a Newfoundland and Labrador Directory of NL Websites
• Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage (website from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, funded by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
• Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism
• Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Archives
• Terra Nova National Park
• Photography Gallery
• Newfoundland History (extensive site from Marianopolis College)
• Religion, Society, and Culture in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Skalholt map

v • d • e Subdivisions of Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland · Labrador · Nunatsiavut Census divisions 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 Cities Corner Brook · Mount Pearl · St. John's Other communities Bishop's Falls · Bonavista · Botwood · Carbonear · Channel-Port aux Basques · Clarenville · Conception Bay South · Deer Lake · Ferryland · Fogo · Gander · Grand Falls-Windsor · Happy Valley-Goose Bay · Harbour Grace · Labrador City · Marystown · Nain · Norris Arm · Pasadena · Peterview · Placentia · Red Bay · St. Anthony · Stephenville · Twillingate · Woody Point

v • d • e British Empire and Commonwealth of Nations Legend Current territory  ·   Former territory * now a Commonwealth Realm  ·   now a member of the Commonwealth of Nations Europe  18th century 1708–1757  Minorca since 1713  Gibraltar 1763-1782  Minorca 1798–1802  Minorca 19th century 1800–1964  Malta 1807–1890  Heligoland 1809–1864  Ionian Islands 1878–1960  Cyprus 20th century since 1960  Akrotiri and Dhekelia North America  17th century 1607–1776  Virginia 1610–1907  Newfoundland since 1619  Bermuda 1620–1691  Plymouth Colony 1629–1691  Massachusetts Bay Colony 1632–1776  Maryland 1636–1776  Connecticut 1636–1776  Rhode Island 1637–1662  New Haven Colony 1663–1712  Carolina 1664–1776  New York 1665–1776  New Jersey 1670–1870  Rupert's Land 1674–1702  East Jersey 1674–1702  West Jersey 1680–1776  New Hampshire 1681–1776  Pennsylvania 1686–1689  Dominion of New England 1691–1776  Massachusetts 18th century 1701–1776  Delaware 1712–1776  North Carolina 1712–1776  South Carolina 1713–1867  Nova Scotia 1733–1776  Georgia 1763–1873  Prince Edward Island 1763–1791  Quebec 1763-1783  Florida 1784–1867  New Brunswick 1791–1841  Lower Canada 1791–1841  Upper Canada 19th century 1818–1846  Columbia District / Oregon Country1 1841–1867  Province of Canada 1849–1866  Vancouver Island 1853–1863  Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands 1858–1866  British Columbia 1859–1870  North-Western Territory 1862–1863  Stikine Territory 1866–1871  Vancouver Island                       and British Columbia 1867–1931  *Dominion of Canada2 20th century 1907–1949  Dominion of Newfoundland3 1Occupied jointly with the United States 2In 1931, Canada and other British dominions obtained self-government through the Statute of Westminster. see Canada's name. 3Gave up self-rule in 1934, but remained a de jure Dominion until it joined Canada in 1949. Latin America and the Caribbean  17th century 1605–1979  *Saint Lucia 1623–1883  Saint Kitts (*Saint Kitts & Nevis) 1624–1966  *Barbados 1625–1650  Saint Croix 1627–1979  *St. Vincent and the Grenadines 1628–1883  Nevis (*Saint Kitts & Nevis) 1629–1641  St. Andrew and Providence Islands4 since 1632  Montserrat 1632–1860  Antigua (*Antigua & Barbuda) 1643–1860  Bay Islands since 1650  Anguilla 1651–1667  Willoughbyland (Suriname) 1655–1850  Mosquito Coast (protectorate) 1655–1962  *Jamaica since 1666  British Virgin Islands since 1670  Cayman Islands 1670–1973  *Bahamas 1670–1688  St. Andrew and Providence Islands4 1671–1816  Leeward Islands 18th century 1762–1974  *Grenada 1763–1978  Dominica since 1799  Turks and Caicos Islands 19th century 1831–1966  British Guiana (Guyana) 1833–1960  Windward Islands 1833–1960  Leeward Islands 1860–1981  *Antigua and Barbuda 1871–1964  British Honduras (*Belize) 1882–1983  *St. Kitts and Nevis 1889–1962  Trinidad and Tobago 20th century 1958–1962  West Indies Federation 4Now the San Andrés y Providencia Department of Colombia Africa  18th century 1792–1961  Sierra Leone 1795–1803  Cape Colony 19th century 1806–1910  Cape Colony 1816–1965  Gambia 1856–1910  Natal 1868–1966  Basutoland (Lesotho) 1874–1957  Gold Coast (Ghana) 1882–1922  Egypt 1884–1966  Bechuanaland (Botswana) 1884–1960  British Somaliland 1887–1897  Zululand 1888–1894  Matabeleland 1890–1980  Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) 1890–1962  Uganda 1890–1963  Zanzibar (Tanzania) 1891–1964  Nyasaland (Malawi) 1891–1907  British Central Africa Protectorate 1893–1968  Swaziland 1895–1920  East Africa Protectorate 1899–1956  Anglo-Egyptian Sudan 20th century 1900–1914  Northern Nigeria 1900–1914  Southern Nigeria 1900–1910  Orange River Colony 1900–1910  Transvaal Colony 1906–1954  Nigeria Colony 1910–1931  South Africa 1911–1964  Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) 1914–1954  Nigeria Protectorate 1915–1931  South West Africa (Namibia) 1919–1960  Cameroons (Cameroon) 5 1920–1963  Kenya 1922–1961  Tanganyika (Tanzania) 5 1954–1960  Nigeria 5League of Nations mandate Asia  18th century 1757–1947  Bengal (West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh) 1762–1764  Philippines 1795–1948  Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1796–1965  Maldives 19th century 1819–1826  British Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore) 1826–1946  Straits Settlements 1839–1967  Colony of Aden 1841–1997  Hong Kong 1841–1941  Kingdom of Sarawak (Malaysia) 1858–1947  British India (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Burma) 1882–1963  British North Borneo (Malaysia) 1885–1946  Unfederated Malay States 1888–1984  Sultanate of Brunei 1888–1946  Sultanate of Sulu 1891–1971  Muscat and Oman protectorate 1892–1971  Trucial States protectorate 1895–1946  Federated Malay States 1898–1930  Weihai Garrison 20th century 1918–1961  Kuwait protectorate 1920–1932  Iraq5 1921–1946  Transjordan5 1923–1948  Palestine5 1946–1948  Malayan Union 1946–1963  Sarawak (Malaysia) 1948–1957  Federation of Malaya (Malaysia) since 1965  British Indian Ocean Territory 5League of Nations mandate Oceania  18th century 1788–1901  New South Wales 19th century 1803–1901  Van Diemen's Land/Tasmania 1807–1863  Auckland Islands6 1824–1980  New Hebrides (Vanuatu) 1824–1901  Queensland 1829–1901  Swan River Colony/Western Australia 1836–1901  South Australia since 1838  Pitcairn Islands 1841–1907  Colony of New Zealand 1851–1901  Victoria 1874–1970  Fiji7 1877–1976  British Western Pacific Territories 1884–1949  Territory of Papua 1888–1965  Cook Islands6 1889–1948  Union Islands (Tokelau)6 1892–1979  Gilbert and Ellice Islands8 1893–1978  British Solomon Islands9 20th century 1900–1970  Tonga (protected state) 1900–1974  Niue6 1901–1942  *Commonwealth of Australia 1907–1953  *Dominion of New Zealand 1919-1942  Nauru 1945-1968  Nauru 1919–1949  Territory of New Guinea 1949–1975  Territory of Papua and New Guinea10 6Now part of the *Realm of New Zealand 7Suspended member 8Now Kiribati and *Tuvalu 9Now the *Solomon Islands 10Now *Papua New Guinea Antarctica and South Atlantic  17th century since 1659  St. Helena 19th century since 1815  Ascension Island11 since 1816  Tristan da Cunha11 since 1833  Falkland Islands12 20th century since 1908  British Antarctic Territory13 since 1908  South Georgia and                       the South Sandwich Islands12, 13 11Dependencies of St. Helena since 1922 (Ascension Island) and 1938 (Tristan da Cunha) 12Occupied by Argentina during the Falklands War of April–June 1982 13Both claimed in 1908; territories formed in 1962 (British Antarctic Territory) and 1985 (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands)

v • d • e French overseas empire Former v • d • e Former French colonies in Africa and the Indian Ocean Mahgreb Algeria · Morocco (Arguin Island) · Tunisia French West Africa Côte d'Ivoire · Dahomey · French Sudan · Guinea · Mauritania · Niger · Senegal · Upper Volta   French Togoland · James Island French Equatorial Africa Chad · Gabon · Middle Congo · Oubangui-Chari Comoros Anjouan · Grande Comore · Mohéli   French Somaliland (Djibouti) · Madagascar · Ile de France · Seychelles v • d • e Former French colonies in the Americas New France  (Acadia • Louisiana • Canada • Terre Neuve) 1655 – 1763 Inini · Berbice · Saint-Domingue (Haiti) · Tobago · Virgin Islands · France Antarctique · France Équinoxiale French West India Company v • d • e Former French colonies in Asia and Oceania French India Chandernagor · Coromandel Coast · Madras · Malabar · Mahé · Pondichéry · Karaikal · Yanaon French Indochina Cambodia · Laos · Vietnam (Annam • Cochinchina • Tonkin) Other Asian Alaouites · Alexandretta-Hatay · Ceylon · Kwangchowan Oceania New Hebrides (Vanuatu) French East India Company Present v • d • e Overseas departments and territories of France   Inhabited areas Overseas departments1 French Guiana · Guadeloupe · Martinique · Réunion3, 5 Overseas collectivities French Polynesia · Mayotte2, 3, 4 · Saint Barthélemy · Saint Martin · Saint Pierre and Miquelon · Wallis and Futuna Special status New Caledonia   Uninhabited areas Pacific Ocean Clipperton Island French Southern and Antarctic Lands Île Amsterdam · Île Saint-Paul · Crozet Islands · Kerguelen Islands · Adélie Land Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean Bassas da India3 · Europa Island3 · Glorioso Islands2, 3, 4 · Juan de Nova Island3 · Tromelin Island5 1 Also known as overseas regions.  2 Claimed by Comoros.  3 Claimed by Madagascar.  4 Claimed by Seychelles.  5 Claimed by Mauritius.

v • d • e Portuguese Empire North Africa  15th century 1415–1640  Ceuta 1458–1550  Alcácer Ceguer (El Qsar es Seghir) 1471–1550  Arzila (Asilah) 1471–1662  Tangier 1485–1550  Mazagan (El Jadida) 1487- middle 16th century  Ouadane 1488–1541  Safim (Safi) 16th century 1505–1769  Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (Agadir) 1506–1525  Mogador (Essaouira) 1506–1525  Aguz (Souira Guedima) 1506–1769  Mazagan (El Jadida) 1513–1541  Azamor (Azemmour) 1577–1589  Arzila (Asilah) Sub-Saharan Africa  15th century 1455–1633  Arguin 1470–1975  São Tomé1 1474–1778  Annobón 1478–1778  Fernando Poo (Bioko) 1482–1637  Elmina (São Jorge da Mina) 1482–1642  Portuguese Gold Coast 1496–1550  Madagascar (part) 1498–1540  Mascarene Islands 16th century 1500–1630  Malindi 1500–1975  Príncipe1 1501–1975  Portuguese E. Africa (Mozambique) 1502–1659  St. Helena 1503–1698  Zanzibar 1505–1512  Quíloa (Kilwa) 1506–1511  Socotra 1557–1578  Accra 1575–1975  Portuguese W. Africa (Angola) 1588–1974  Cacheu2 1593–1698  Mombassa (Mombasa) 17th century 1642–1975  Cape Verde 1645–1888  Ziguinchor 1680–1961  São João Baptista de Ajudá 1687–1974  Bissau2 18th century 1728–1729  Mombassa (Mombasa) 1753–1975  São Tomé and Príncipe 19th century 1879–1974  Portuguese Guinea 1885–1975  Portuguese Congo (Cabinda) 1 Part of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1753.   2 Part of Portuguese Guinea from 1879. Southwest Asia  16th century 1506–1615  Gamru (Bandar Abbas) 1507-1643  Sohar 1515–1622  Hormuz (Ormus) 1515-1648  Quriyat 1515-?   Qalhat 1515–1650  Muscat 1515?-?   Barka 1515-1633? Julfar (Ras al-Khaimah) 1521–1602  Bahrain (Al Muharraq and Manama) 1521-1529?  Qatif 1521?-1551? Tarut Island 1550-1551  Qatif 1588-1648  Matrah 17th century 1620-?   Khor Fakkan 1621?-?   As Sib 1621-1622  Qeshm 1623-?   Khasab 1623-?   Libedia 1624-?   Kalba 1624-?   Madha 1624-1648  Dibba Al-Hisn 1624?-?   Bandar-e Kong Indian subcontinent  15th century 1498–1545  Laccadive Islands (Lakshadweep) 16th century Portuguese India    1500–1663  Cochim (Kochi)    1502–1661  Quilon (Coulão/Kollam)    1502–1663  Cannanore (Kannur)    1507–1657  Negapatam (Nagapattinam)    1510–1962  Goa    1512–1525  Calicut (Kozhikode)    1518–1619  Paliacate (Pulicat)    1521–1740  Chaul    1523–1662  São Tomé de Meliapore    1528–1666  Chittagong    1534–1601  Salsette Island    1534–1661  Bombay (Mumbai)    1535–1739  Baçaím (Vasai-Virar)    1536–1662  Cranganore (Kodungallur)    1540–1612  Surat    1548–1658  Tuticorin (Thoothukudi)    1559–1962  Daman and Diu    1568–1659  Mangalore    1579–1632  Hughli    1598–1610  Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam) 1518–1521  Maldives 1518–1658  Portuguese Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1558–1573  Maldives 17th century Portuguese India    1687–1749  São Tomé de Meliapore 18th century Portuguese India    1779–1954  Dadra and Nagar Haveli East Asia and Oceania  16th century 1511–1641  Portuguese Malacca 1512–1621  Banda Islands 1512–1621  Moluccas (Maluku Islands)    1522–1575  Ternate    1576–1605  Ambon    1578–1650  Tidore 1512–1665  Makassar 1553–1999  Macau 1533-1545  Ning-po 1571–1639  Decima (Dejima, Nagasaki) 17th century 1642–1975  Portuguese Timor (East Timor)1 19th century Macau    1864–1999  Coloane    1849-1999  Portas do Cerco    1851–1999  Taipa    1890–1999  Ilha Verde 20th century Macau    1938–1941  Lapa and Montanha (Hengqin) 1 1975 is the date of East Timor's Declaration of Independence and subsequent invasion by Indonesia. In 2002, the independence of East Timor was recognized by Portugal and the rest of the world. North America and the North Atlantic Ocean  15th century 1420           Madeira 1432           Azores 16th century 1500–1579?  Terra Nova (Newfoundland) 1500-1579?  Labrador 1516–1579?  Nova Scotia Central and South America  16th century 1500–1822  Brazil 1536–1620  Barbados 17th century 1680–1777  Nova Colônia do Sacramento 19th century 1808–1822  Cisplatina (Uruguay) Portuguese colonization of the Americas

Coordinates: 49°00′N 56°00′W / 49°N 56°W / 49; -56