NEWFOUNDLAND, an island and British colony of North America, not yet incorpo rated with the Dominion of Canada, lies at the mouth of the gulf of St. Lawrence, separated from Labrador on the n. by the straits of Belle Isle (about 12 in. broad), and extending in lat. from 46° 38' to 51° 37' n., and in long. front 52' 44' to 59° 30' west. In shape it resembles an equilateral triangle, of which cape Bauld on the n., cape Race on the see., and cape Ray on the sew. form the angles. It is 370 in. in lenalh, 290 m. in breadth, and has an area of 40,200 sq.miles. Pop. '69, 146,536; '74, 161,486.
The island, as seen from the sea, presents a wild and sterile appearance. Its surface is diversified by mountains, marshes, barrens, ponds, and lakes. The mountains in the Avalon peninsula (stretching s.e. from the main portion of the island, and connected with it by an isthmus of only about 3 m. in width) rise, in some eases, to 1400 ft. above sea :evel; while both here and along the western shore the height of 1000 ft. is frequently reached. The number of the lakes and " ponds" (the latter name being used indiscrimi nately for is large or a small lake) is remarkable, and it hag been estimated that about one-third of the whole surface is covered with fresh water. The "barrens" occupy the tops of bills. The coast line is everywhere deeply indented with bays and estuaries, many of which are spacious enough to contain the whole British navy. 01 these inlets. the principal, beginning from the northern extremity of the island. are Hare, 'White, Notre Dame, Bonavista, Trinity, Conception, St. Mary's, Placentia, Fortune, St. George's, and St. John's bays. These bays vary iu length from 25 to 70 m., are of great breadth, and are lined—as indeed the whole coast is—with excellent harbors. The rivers, none of which are navigable for any distance, communicate between the lakes of the interior and the shore, and are narrow and winding. The main streams are the Exploit, with its affluent the Great Rattling, and the Humber. Much of the soil is sterile and unproductive, although there is considerable cultivation along the sea-board of the settled districts, limited principally to the s.e. coast; exploration has shown that the best land and the best timber are in the interior. The great body of the people being employed
either in the fisheries or in establishments connected with them, little attention used to be paid to the culture of the soil; but very considerable improvements in this respect have latterly been made by the enterprising islanders. In 1845 the only crops raised were oats and hay; but within recent years large supplies of grain, vegetable, and garden seeds have been imported; and ,notrabont iclomoo bushels of potatoes are produced annu ally, and turnips, hay, carrots, barley, and Oats are Cultivated with success. The island possesses some minerals, among which are marble, limestone, gypsum, roofing slat-s. and coal—the last found only in small quantities; also copper, nickel. lead, and iron. One rich copper mine is worked, though mining is still in its infancy here. 'Frees, of which the chief are pine and fir, birch, and willow, thrive only in the more fertile dis tricts.
The fisheries are of two kinds—the " shore fishery" and the "bank fishery;" the former comprises the shores and bays of Newfoundland; the latter comprises a great tract known as the "banks" of Newfoundland, from 500 to 600 m. in length, and about 200 in. in breadth. The banks form the greatest submarine plateau known; the depth of the water is from 20 to 108 fathoms, and the most productive " ground " is said to extend between lat. 42° and 46' north. Great variety of valuable fish is found in the waters around the colony, as the cod, salmon, herring, etc. The principal articles of export are fish— comprising dry cod, herring, and salmon—and cod-oil. Of dry cod, 970,176 quintals, value £810,943, were exported in 1870; 3,593 tuns of unrefined cod-oil, value £107,813; 404 of refined cod-oil, value £21,068; 4,982 of seal-oil, value £176,472; and 265,189 seal skins, value £55,248. The imports are chiefly provisions, as bread, butter, tea, etc.— cordage and cables, and manufactured goods. The imports and exports for 1874 amounted in value to £1,532.227 and £1,528,341 respectively. The revenue of New foundland in 1875 whs. £197,283; the expenditure,. £197,694. In 18:3 the total tonnage of vessels that entered and cleared the ports was 412,024. Newfoundland possessed itself 1301 vessels of 68,185 tons.