Newfoundland and Labrador: a place where the past meets the present

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

The first rays of the sun, before reaching the rest of North America, give their warmth to the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada). Here the light is already touching the ground, while the rest of the continent remains in darkness, albeit for only a few moments. And when a province wakes up, so does its history: multi-coloured buildings perched on steep hills and rugged coastlines, with the secrets of early life hidden under the sea for centuries and even millennia.

The place where the land was the sea

The two main components of the province - the island of Newfoundland and Labrador - should be considered as separate physiographic regions. The island, almost triangular in shape, with an area of 108,860 km 2, is part of the Appalachian mountain systemNorth America. In it, the terrain extends from the southwest to the northeast and is characterized by continental drift, volcanic action, deformation of the earth's crust, ice erosion and sedimentation.

These forces created a very complex geological structure, with ancient rocks to the east, new Appalachian rocks to the west, and an ancient ocean floor sandwiched between them. The mountains give way to a plateau that gently slopes down to the northeast coast with its numerous capes, islands and bays. The plateau is undulating and dotted with thousands of lakes and ponds, numerous streams and rivers. The coast itself is marked by bays and fjords, there are many offshore islands.

Labrador, an area of 294,330 km2, is a geological part of the Canadian Shield that includes some of the world's oldest rocks. Although most of the rocks are Precambrian (i.e. older than 540 million years) igneous and metamorphic formations, the west contains softer sedimentary deposits and some of the most extensive iron ore deposits in North America.

A bit of history

Vikings, Sea Indians and Paleo-Eskimos, as well as the British, French and Irish claimed that Newfoundland and Labrador were at some point their hunting grounds or home. Today, the provincial capital, St. John's, is considered the oldest English settlement in North America. Its history goes back about five hundred years. The city is small and is located on the island of Newfoundland, separated frommost of the province. However, its lifestyle is very different from the calm and peaceful seclusion that exists in the rest of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Start your day before daylight at the lighthouse on Cape Spear, the easternmost point on the entire continent. Here you will be the first to see the sun peeking over the horizon. The lighthouse is the oldest in Newfoundland and Labrador. It has existed for almost two centuries and preserves not only maritime but also family history.

For some 150 years, generations of the Cantwells have maintained the light, and their doors remain open during visiting hours, inviting you to step inside and see how the lighthouse keepers of the 19th century lived. From the historic site, wander through the WWII-era citadel and underpasses, the remains of Fort Cape Spear's coastal defense battery.

Hiking and walking

Newfoundland and Labrador has 29,000 kilometers of pristine coastline dotted with beaches and nearly 300 hiking trails, including historic trails between abandoned fishing communities. You can see seabirds, whales and icebergs along the way.

There is another interesting place to visit, but this ecological reserve can only be reached with a guided tour - Cape Mistaken Point (Mistaken Point). It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016.

More than four miles of jagged, narrow coastal cliffs make up this cape, where superbly preservedthe fossils are covered by high-hanging ledges. Once it was all part of the seabed. In America and North Africa, the continental plates have never moved. Here you can admire multicellular fossils, the length of which varies from a few centimeters to one and a half meters. They are the oldest found anywhere in the world.

Interesting facts about the province

The unique culture of Newfoundland and Labrador is a fusion of English, Irish, French and Indigenous heritage.

The history of this province is rich in legends. She also has her own symbols:

Flower emblem of Newfoundland and Labrador - Sarracenia purpurea. This amazing plant is fed by insects that get trapped and drown in a pool of water at the base of the tubular leaves. Over a hundred years ago, Queen Victoria chose a flower to engrave on a newly minted Newfoundland penny. In 1954, the Cabinet declared this unusual and interesting plant the official flower of the province.
Mineral symbol - labradorite. One of the most beautiful and popular semi-precious stones found in many places along the coast. Labradorite was declared the mineral emblem in 1975. It is one of 20 semi-precious stones found in the province.

By the way, the bird of Newfoundland and Labrador is the Atlantic puffin (fratercula arctica). It is also known as the sea parrot or Baccalieu bird. About 95% of all puffins in North America breedin the colonies around the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.