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Capital City: St. John's
In December 2001, the name of Canada's easternmost province was changed from Newfoundland to Newfoundland and Labrador. This was done to better reflect to two sections of the province: the island of Newfoundland and the mainland of Labrador. Together, the two sections total more than three times the total area of the Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
 Historical settlers of the area ranged from the 16th century Basque whalers to the famous Viking warriors. Newfoundland was the last province to join Confederation; it joined in 1949. The province is located in a time zone unique in North America, half an hour later than Atlantic Time.
The province's present population of just over 500,000 is largely descended from settlers from south-western England and southern Ireland, who immigrated to Newfoundland in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The pattern of settlement was mainly determined by the fishing industry, a population distribution that has persisted to this day. The Avalon Peninsula and northeastern Newfoundland, the traditional base for the fisheries, continue to be the most heavily populated areas.
St. John's, the historic commercial centre and capital of the island, is the province's largest city. Its population is approximately 99,000, while the metro area population is about 173,000.
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