LIVING IN CANADA : NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

Newfoundland and Labrador has long been known in legend and myth around the world as one of the most spectacular natural regions on earth. It can be said that it was the first site for Canadian immigration, in Canada. It was first visited by the Vikings almost 600 hundred years before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492. As you can see, immigrants have been visiting Newfoundland for a very long time.


A Newfoundland fishing outport The Province consists of the island of Newfoundland and the mainland Labrador, on Canada's Atlantic coast. On entry into Canada in 1949, the entire province was known as Newfoundland, but since 1964, the province's government has referred to itself as the "Government of Newfoundland and Labrador", and on December 6, 2001, an amendment was made to the Constitution of Canada to change the province's official name to "Newfoundland and Labrador".

In general day-to-day conversation, however, Canadians still refer to the province in a general way as "Newfoundland," while the Labrador region of the province is usually referred to as simply Labrador.

While the name "Newfoundland" is derived from English as "New Found Land", Labrador is named after Portuguese explorer João Fernandes Lavrador.

The province's population is 505,469 according to the 2006 national census. People from Newfoundland are called "Newfoundlanders" (and at times "Newfies", though this can be seen as a pejorative) while people from Labrador are called "Labradorians". Newfoundland is a warm and friendly society that welcomes immigrants from around the world. It has its own dialects of the English, French, and Irish Gaelic languages. The English dialect in Labrador shares much with Newfoundland. Furthermore, Labrador has its own dialects of Innu-aimun and Inuktitut.

Geography
As well as the long border on the mainland with Quebec on the Labrador peninsula, the province has a short border with Nunavut on the small Killiniq Island, ending at Cape Chidley. All islands off the northern coast of Quebec belong to the territory of Nunavut.

Newfoundland also shares a territorial water border with France, with the islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

Ethnic origins
Ethnic origin Percent
English 39.4%
Irish 19.7%
Scottish 6.0%
French 5.5%
First Nations 3.2%
Immigration Profile
The Canada 2006 Census counted an estimated 84,800 foreign-born people in the four Atlantic provinces combined. This was an increase of 8,800 immigrants from 2001, and a growth rate of 11.6%. During this period, an estimated 13,500 recent Canadian immigrants settled in the Atlantic region, or 1.2% of the 1.1 million new Canadian immigrants. Newfoundland and Labrador attracted 8,400 of the new Canadian immigrants. Unlike the other Atlantic provinces, the United Kingdom was the top source country for Newfoundland and Labrador.


1897 Newfoundland postage stamp, the first in the world to feature mining The Economy
Hibernia clearly made a very significant contribution to the provincial economy in 1998, and exploration and work on other projects means that the offshore oil industry's contribution was even greater.

Newfoundland and Labrador has posted the strongest economic growth of any province in 1999, for the second year running, serving as an incentive for canadian immigration to Newfoundland and Labrador. Real GDP growth of 5.3% was powered by gains in exports and capital investment which both reached record levels. The value of exports grew 13.1% to $5.7 billion and capital investment grew by 21% to $3.4 billion.

Economic gains were broadly-based and included increases in offshore oil production, crab and shrimp landings, construction activity, tourism and manufacturing. Manufacturing gains, led by fish production, newsprint, and refined petroleum, resulted in a record shipment value of almost $2 billion. Strong economic growth, coupled with increasing employment, higher wages, low interest rates, and strengthened consumer confidence, led to an increase of 6.9% in retail sales and 13.7% in the number of new vehicles sold.

The Province's real economic growth continues to be attrractive to immigrants and is expected to be 4.7% in 2000, leading all provinces for a third year. Growth will be driven by increased oil, newsprint and mineral production and higher manufacturing shipments. Higher public sector spending on infrastructure, increased tourism and other service sector activity, and expanding technology industries will also contribute to growth. Employment growth of 2.8% is forecast, causing the unemployment rate to decline to 15.9%. Federal and provincial tax cuts will boost after-tax incomes in 2000. These cuts, combined with employment and wage growth, will encourage further buying by consumers leading to an increase of 5.1% in retail sales and 5.7% in housing investment.

Education
Newfoundland and Labrador is an excellent place to live and study. Situated on the northeast corner of North America, the spectacular natural setting of our province provides a beautiful backdrop for you to pursue your educational goals. With one of the lowest crime rates in North America, affordable housing and education, and a distinctive, friendly culture, our province offers quality of life beyond expectation for those considering immigration to Canada. The unique blend of historic charm and exciting modern living makes Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada an amazing place to live.

The province's public post-secondary institutions consist of Memorial University of Newfoundland and the College of the North Atlantic. There are also a number of privately operated, government regulated Career Colleges throughout the province.

With state-of-the-art facilities, excellent research and development opportunities, internationally recognized programs, and respected and approachable faculty, Newfoundland and Labrador's post-secondary education institutions are preparing graduates for careers around the world.