Whether your heart lies on land or within the deep mysterious depths of the ocean, the Canadian province of Newfoundland & Labrador has the ability to enchant and sway. These two islands attract visitors from all over for its marine life, in particular its whales, is internationally acclaimed with sightings of Humpbacks, Minke, Pilot, Fin, Sperm and Blue Whales among others.
Provincial Flower
Its provincial flower, the Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia purpirea, Lat.) also known as the Side-saddle flower is perhaps just as interesting as anything one might find down in the blue depths of the ocean. A carnivorous plant, the Purple Pitcher Plant, feeds off any type of insect. Its feeding device comprises a system whereby the prey falls into the pitcher of the flower and drowns in the rainwater contained within the pitcher. Once dead, the prey gets shredded apart by invertebrates and bacteria, causing nutrients to mineralise and be absorbed by the plant.
Capital City
Aside from the fascinating fauna and flora of Newfoundland & Labrador, one can also take solace in the fact that St. John's, the provincial capital, is the fastest growing metropolitan area in Newfoundland & Labrador and 19th fastest in Canada. St. Johns also enjoys a reputation of being one of the oldest English-founded cities in North America and has a history reaching as far back as the 1500s when European fisherman made use of its harbour.
History
As with almost all other Canadian provinces, Newfoundland & Labrador saw humans arrive shortly after the glacial retreat. The initial settlers were the people of the Maritime Archaic Tradition; however they were gradually driven out by Paleo-eskimos of the Dorset culture. Subsequent settlers include the Innu and Inuit as well as the Beothuks. As opposed to any other part of Canada, and perhaps indeed North America, this region was visited by Europeans more than 1,000 years ago. They were Vikings and to this day their settlement, L'Anse aux Meadows, enjoys a place in history.
Though 500 years after the Vikings, explorers, fishermen and whale hunters began occupying the area and exploiting its natural resources. They consisted of numerous nations, including France, Portugal, England and Spain. It was however only in 1583 that Newfoundland & Labrador became a British territory under Sir Humphrey Gilbert. Colonisation was an easily accomplished task as St. John's, Cupids and Ferryland, to name a few, had already been established at that stage.
Yet as times move on things change - a change which includes governments. Over the years the government of Newfoundland & Labrador took on many forms, including a Dominion, but finally became a province (the 10th) of Canada on March 31st, 1949.
Geography
Newfoundland & Labrador make up roughly 4% of Canada's area with a total area of more than 405,000 sq. km. The aforementioned area includes the over 7,000 small islands within the province.
Labrador's western border is a drainage divide with Quebec for the Labrador Peninsula, which brings to effect that all areas draining into the Atlantic Ocean belongs to Labrador, the rest Quebec. It is also interesting to note that Labrador is the most eastern part of the Canadian Shield.
One of the main geological attractions of Newfoundland is the Gros Morne National Park. This park is said to showcase tectonics at work and it is believed that colliding tectonic plates influence the geology and shape of Newfoundland today.
On a final note, and perhaps as a point of interest to those with an affinity for solitude, Newfoundland & Labrador has a population density of 1.27 per sq. km.