Sights of the island of Newfoundland: history, climate

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

The name of the island of Newfoundland in English means "newly discovered land". It is located in the North Atlantic, off the east coast of Canada. The narrow Belle-Ile Strait separates it from the southern edge of the Labrador Peninsula, in the East Newfoundland washes the Atlantic Ocean, in the West - the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The ancestors of the Indians began to populate it in the 1st century, and the Europeans - ten years after the discovery of America by Columbus. But neither one nor the other was able to conquer it, and the island has still retained its wild original appearance, yielding to people only a small part of its vast territories.

First Europeans

There is historical evidence that Norman Vikings visited the island of Newfoundland as early as the 11th century. Historians believe that the Icelandic sagas call it Vinland, and the Labrador Peninsula - Markland. Folklore may embellish reality, but on the territory of the island of Newfoundland, the remains of a Norman village have been preserved, which are a local landmark and are under the protection of UNESCO as the first European settlement in the Western Hemisphere.

Already in those distant times, this place was notdeserted: the ancestors of the Indians and Eskimos lived here, with whom the Vikings traded, thinking little about geographical discoveries. This fever started later.

Age of great travels

It would not be a mistake to say that the island of Newfoundland and the coast of the Labrador Peninsula opened the invincible spirit of self-serving European curiosity. In the second half of the 15th century, it became fashionable among the powerful powers of the current EU to travel to India through the Western Hemisphere. The well-known Columbus was the first to go in search and stumbled upon a new continent - the Spaniards found the richest colonies.

Having learned about such unheard-of successes, the Bristol merchants decided to equip their own expedition - the hope of reaching blessed lands full of gold and precious spices still intoxicated many heads. Since no support from the state, except for the blessing of the English King Henry VII, could not be obtained, the enterprise could not boast of a wide scope.

Discovery of Newfoundland

In May 1497, a ship under the command of the English navigator of Italian origin John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) set sail from the Bristol pier, which, by and large, opened the island of Newfoundland to Europeans. The ship was called "Matthew", and there were only 18 crew members on board - apparently, the organizers did not count on rich booty, and the purpose of the expedition was only reconnaissance of the area. After spending just over a month in the ocean, Cabot reached the northern coast of Newfoundland in June 1497. Stepping on the ground and declaring it possessionsthe English crown, the traveler went further along the coast, opened the Big Newfoundland Bank rich in fish, “wandered” around the island for a month, turned back and arrived in England on August 6.

The information brought by Cabot was not at all encouraging: it was gloomy, cold, there was nothing but fish. I must say that the reports of travelers of those years are shrouded in the darkness of mystery - no one wanted to share information, fearing the intrigues of competitors. Therefore, the remaining evidence is extremely scarce. Whether John Cabot reached Labrador or not is not known for certain.

Territorial disputes

In this matter, the Portuguese outdid the British: the peninsula got its name from Joyo Fernandez Lavrador (“lavradore” - from the Portuguese landowner). In 1501, his compatriots, led by Gaspar Cortereal, arrived in Newfoundland. A monument to this navigator still stands on one of the squares of St. John's, the administrative center of the province (in 1965, the statue was presented by the Portuguese, nostalgic for their great maritime past).

For a long time, no one seriously claimed the territory of the island of Newfoundland, it was inhabited by indigenous tribes of Indians and Eskimos, as well as visiting Portuguese, French, Irish and British. They traded with the locals, bartering valuable skins of beaver, otter and other fur-bearing animals, engaged in fishing and hunting.

At the end of the 16th century, the French hunted whales and fished in the southwest, and the British traded in the Northeast. Affiliationthe island was sluggishly contested by various European states.

British Crown Estates

In 1701, the Spanish king, the last of the Habsburg dynasty, died. In Europe, the War of the Spanish Succession broke out, dragging on for 13 long years. In 1713, under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht, Newfoundland went to Great Britain.

However, this was not the end: during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), France, Spain and Britain again began to dispute the territory from each other, and in 1762 an Anglo-French battle took place near St. John's, in which the British won, which finally secured their rights.

Canadian Confederation Claims

Attempts to lure the island into the sphere of its political and economic influence were made by Canada, but Newfoundland reacted to this without much enthusiasm. In 1869, the proposal to enter the Canadian Confederation was flatly rejected. After, by order of London, the Labrador Peninsula was annexed to Newfoundland, Canada offered assistance in the development of local iron deposits and was again refused: the islanders rightly believed that, becoming economically dependent on the confederation, they would inevitably lose sovereignty. However, what will be, will not be avoided.

In the 30s, a global crisis broke out, which led to the collapse of the economy of the island of Newfoundland. London introduced an "external administration", a special commission was created to determine the future fate of the island. Afterthe end of World War II, the decision was made and put into practice. In 1948, according to the results of a referendum, the island of Newfoundland became one of the provinces of Canada, which it is to this day.

Population and climate

Today, the population of these places has about 500 thousand people. Given that the area of the island is about 111.39 thousand square kilometers, the population is more than modest. The settlements are mainly located on the coast, since for a long time fishing was the main livelihood of the locals.

Cool damp has long claimed the island of Newfoundland, whose climate was considered "terrible" even by the British.

Summers in the South East do not exceed 15°C, but the proximity of the Atlantic leads to fairly warm winters - rarely colder than -4°C. In the Northwest, the temperature regime is sharper: up to 25 ° C in summer, and ten-degree frosts occur in winter.

The relief of different parts of Newfoundland is also different. In the West, the terrain is mountainous, the local Long Range ridge is considered part of the Appalachians (once the island broke away from the prehistoric mainland as a result of a terrible geological cataclysm). In the place where the island of Newfoundland is located, the warm waters of the Gulf Stream meet the cold Labrador Current. This leads to a significant amount of precipitation on the island (75-1500 mm). Due to the collision of water and air currents of different temperatures, white fluffy clouds occupy the island of Newfoundland for almost a third of the year. Photo of the swirling haze through which the roofs are visibleJohn's are surprisingly reminiscent of scenes from Stephen King's The Fog.

Locals

King's monsters, fortunately, are not found on the island. But quite terrestrial animals live, thriving due to the fact that this province of Canada is by far the least affected by industrialization. Most of the island of Newfoundland is covered with pristine taiga, large areas are swampy. Moose, bears, lynxes, raccoons, foxes and many other animals are found here. Indented with numerous fiords and rocky coves, the coast is a real paradise for birds and marine mammals.

Tourism

The opportunity to walk through untouched places attracts many fans of ecotourism. In the Gros Morne National Park, they find an abundance of wild coastal rocks, the beauty of clear mountain lakes and rapid rapids. From the steep banks you can admire drifting icebergs and migrating blue whales.

An ancient Viking settlement, the oldest city street in North America (Water Street), museums, restaurants and souvenir shops are at the service of tourists.

Sport fishing enthusiasts also come here: the local waters are still teeming with fish, despite the fact that it has been actively caught on an industrial scale almost since the discovery of the island of Newfoundland and Labrador. The irresponsible attitude towards a natural treasure almost destroyed this land.

Fish Place

Big Newfoundland Bank - Shoalwith an area of 282.5 thousand sq. km, which is still the richest "deposit" of fish in the world. Uncontrolled hunting continued for centuries: in the 19th century, the population of Newfoundland grew from 19,000 to 220,000 thanks to settlers who dreamed of earning a living by fishing and whaling.

Environmentalists started sounding the alarm back in the 1970s, but the government of Canada took harsh measures only in 1992 and introduced a moratorium on fishing. By this time, fishing trawlers from almost all European countries were hunting cod in distress. The moratorium hit the economy and the well-being of the population hard. In a short time, more than 60 thousand people left the island.

I had to find other means to earn money. Mining has intensified: the island has iron, copper and zinc ore. Oil is being extracted on the shelf, pulp mills have opened, and tourism is developing at a good pace. Since 2006, the population has started to grow again, indicating the recovery of the local economy.

From Newfoundland with love

The first thing that comes to mind at the mention of Newfoundland is not the island with all its beauties, but big good-natured dogs, whose homeland is rightfully considered this inhospitable land. Where they came from is not known for certain. According to one version, the breed appeared as a result of crossing Norman dogs with Indian dogs. According to another, Europeans brought the animals, and in the isolated conditions of the island a breed appeared, whose representatives are sometimes called divers. According to local legend, a black shaggy dog is the resultlove affair between a dog and an otter. That is why Newfoundlands are great swimmers, divers, have water-repellent coats and the famous “otter tail.”

Some cynologists, however, claim that initially there were two breeds on the island. The first is powerful black dogs, practically no different from the modern Newfoundland. They were harnessed to small two-wheeled carts, and they served as a kind of vehicle. Another breed, the St. John's, are the legendary "water dogs" that swam for hours without getting tired, helping the fishermen pull out the nets and bringing the hunters the shot prey. These dogs are believed to be the ancestors of today's popular retrievers.

One way or another, but the gift of the island of Newfoundland to mankind is more valuable than the diamonds of South Africa or the gold of the Klondike. Is it possible to compare soulless stones or metal with a cheerful and accommodating friend who has been faithfully serving a person for so many years?