NEWFOUNDLAND, an island and British colony of North America; in the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and separated from Labrador on the N. by the straits of Belle Isle. The island is 370 miles in length, 290 in breadth, and about 1,000 in circumference; area, 42,200 square miles; pop. (1901) 217,037; (1917) 252, 464. Capital, St. Johns.
About a third of the area of the island is occupied by lakes and ponds. The coast provides a large number of ex cellent and sheltered harbors. The plains abound with herds of the caribou deer; these, with bears, wolves, foxes, and beaver, form the principal fauna of the island, which is a favorite resort for sportsmen. In winter the cold is severe. Much of the soil- especially in the S., is unproductive; grain and root crops are the most important agricul tural products; large areas are adapted to stock raising. The chief resources of the inhabitants have been in the past the cod, seal, and salmon fisheries, these industries being the most extensive of the kind in the world.
The chief industries of the people are agriculture, fishing, mining and lumber ing. The annual catch of fish is valued at about $1,500,000, and the sealing in dustry is also important. In 1918 151, 431 seals, valued at $864,000, were taken. About 1,500 men are engaged in the fishing industry. Valuable iron depos its have been found in various parts of the island. The forests produce large quantities of pulp for paper and exten sive pulp and paper mills have been es tablished in Grand Falls, Bishop Falls, and Deer Lake.
The imports of Newfoundland in the years 1918-1919 were valued at £5,528, 000, and the exports at £6,198,000. The annual expenditure is about $5,700,000, and the annual revenue about $6,500, 000. There are about 900 miles of rail way and about 4,600 miles of telegraph.
A part of the peninsula of Labrador, lying between the Hudson Strait and Blanc Sablin, is included in the admin istration of Newfoundland.
Newfoundland was discovered by John Cabot in 1497. In 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert took possession in the name of England and in 1621 Calvert made a settlement in the peninsula of Avalon. Representation was granted in 1832. In
1854 the present form of government was established. Newfoundland forms, with the department of Labrador, a crown colony.. It is administered by a governor, assisted by an executive coun cil, and a House of Assembly of 36 members.
Soon after the discovery of New foundland, French fishermen frequented the "banks" in larger numbers than the English, and Great Britain did not take formal possession till 1583. The first permanent settlement was made in 1623. Before the treaty of Utrecht (1713), which ceded the island to Great Britain, the French and English had frequent conflicts over the right of pos session. Fishing rights were conceded to the French, and this led to long and bitter disputes which have interfered with the development of the island. The French claim the exclusive right to fish from Cape John on the E. coast, around the N. coast, to Cape Ray on the W. Great Britain has never admitted this claim. The position maintained by the French has prevented the development of the mineral resources on the N. coast. In March, 1890, a modus vivendi was concluded between the French and Brit ish governments, remaining in force till Dec. 31, 1900. It caused great dissatis faction among the people of the island. A Royal Commission, appointed in Au gust, 1898, decided that part of the French claims should be removed by purchase or concession; that the lobster fisheries should be arranged on the same basis; that the French should be fur nished free bait, on abandonment of their bounties (to expire in 1901) ; that they should be prohibited from interfering with the "Treaty Shore," and that smuggling should be suppressed. On the outbreak of the war in South Africa, the colony on its own initiative renewed the modus vivendi, in order to relieve the home government and to prove its loy alty. The executive power of the col ony is administered by a governor, ex ecutive council, legislative council and elected House of Assembly. Newfound land sent a comparatively large num ber of men to Europe during the World War, and the service rendered by the colony was proportionately equal in ex tent to that of any other part of the British Empire.