Newfoundland e Labrador

Newfoundland is the easternmost province of Canada on the Atlantic coast. It is composed of the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador to the northwest, with a combined area of around 405,000 km2² e uma população de 520.000 habitantes. Conhecida por suas belas paisagens costeiras e seu povo amigável, a província recebe uma média de 1.400 novos imigrantes a cada ano. A capital e maior cidade, St. John’s está localizada na ilha de Newfoundland and 40% of the province’s population lives there.

Geography

Part of the Atlantic provinces of Canada (along with Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island), Newfoundland ), Newfoundland and Labrador is at the north-eastern corner of North America. The Strait of Belle Isle separates the mainland and the island, and the only way to get to Newfoundland is either by plane or by ferry. The province also includes over 7,000 tiny islands. About 94% of the province's population lives on the island of Newfoundland, concentrated in the Avalon Peninsula where St. John’s is located.

Newfoundland has roughly a triangular shape and its landscape is dominated by numerous bays, islands, peninsulas, river systems and the mountain ranges on its west coast. Most of the towns and cities are located in the bays and coves of the island’s west and northeast coasts. The island occupies its own time zone, known as Newfoundland Timeand it differs by half an hour.

A paisagem de Labrador varia de montanhosa com vários penhascos no norte, um planalto e florestas no   interior, a uma vegetação irregular na costa sul. Faz fronteira com a província de Quebec ao sul e oeste, e no extremo norte, tem uma pequena fronteira com o território de Nunavut, na Ilha Killiniq.

Climate

Newfoundland and Labrador has a wide range of climates and weather, due to its geography, but generally it has a cold, not severe winters and warm to cool summers. The island of Newfoundland tem um clima muito influenciado pelo mar. Os invernos são geralmente amenos com uma temperatura normal de 0 °C e os dias de verão variam de frios a quentes, com uma temperatura normal de 16 °C. A temperatura média em St. John’s durante o verão é de 17 °C e no inverno é de -4 °C. O clima de Labrador é diferente do da ilha e os invernos são muito mais frios, enquanto os verões são mais curtos e geralmente mais frios, mas as temperaturas extremamente altas não são incomuns.

Language

The province is the most linguistically homogeneous in Canada, with 97% of the population reporting English as their mother tongue. One characteristic of the province is its unique " NewfoundlandEnglish” referring to the several accents and dialects found there. Most of these differ substantially from the English commonly spoken elsewhere in Canada. Newfoundland is also home to unique varieties of French, Irish and Scottish, while in Labrador, indigenous languages are also spoken.

Economy

For many years, Newfoundland and Labrador had experienced a depressed economy. Following the collapse of the cod fishery during the early 1990s, the province suffered record unemployment rates and the population decreased. Due to a major investment in the industry of energy and resources, the provincial economy has had a major turnaround since the beginning of the year 2000.

Service industries became very important for the economy, especially health, financial services and public administration. Other significant industries are mining, oil production, manufacturing and tourism.

Agriculture is limited due to the poor soil and adverse climate. Most of the crops are grown for local consumption, and important crops include potatoes, carrots, rutabagas, blueberries, and cranberries. Mining and minerals is one of the province's most valuable natural resources. Minerals mined in the province include iron, nickel, copper, zinc, gold, and silver.

Education

The school year in Canada starts in September and ends in June, with the months of July and August being the summer break. Like many other aspects of the country, it is the responsibility of the provinces to monitor and regulate education. In Newfoundland and Labrador, children from 6 to 16 years old are requested to go to school. Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and children of international students have access to free education from Kindergarten to Grade 12, starting at 5 years old and as long as certain requirements are met. Education can either be in English or French.

The Memorial University of Newfoundland, founded in 1925, with campuses at St. John’s and Corner Brook, is the province’s only university, and one of the only in Canada to offer academic programs in folklore.

Immigration

In addition to the immigration process offered by the federal governmentProvincial Nominee Programs – PNP) to immigrate to Canada. The province offers the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP), which allows skilled workers and international graduates who meet established criteria to be nominated for permanent resident status. The applicants must have a job or job offer, the ability to economically establish themselves and the intent to reside in the province to be eligible for this program.

Newfoundland and Labrador is also part of theAtlantic Immigration Pilot Program – (AIPP), created in 2017 to address labour shortages in Atlantic Canada. The pilot allows eligible employers to hire foreign-trained workers and international graduates. Due to its success, the pilot is now a permanent program.

Tourism

Much of the recreational activity in Newfoundland and Labrador is related to the province’s abundant natural scenery, and it attracts around 500,000 tourists each year. Hiking, backpacking, camping, biking, skiing, canoeing, kayaking, whale watching and iceberg viewing are popular activities for tourists.

Newfoundland contains a generous amount of parks and reserves, including Terra Nova National Park and the Gros Morne National Park, a World Heritage site since 1987. The history of the province is also reflected at locations such as L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, which preserves the location of an authenticated Norse village, which is the earliest known European settlement in North America. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978. Labrador also has beautiful places to visit like the Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve, Mealy Mountains and Red Bay National Historic Site.

The provincial museum, art gallery, and archives are housed together in a large structure called The Rooms in St. John’s. Smaller museums and cultural centres are located in other towns throughout the province. The province’s heritage, shaped by centuries of isolated way of life, has produced a vibrant, distinctive culture, expressed in dialects, crafts, traditions, cooking, art, music and writing.

For more information about Newfoundland e Labradorvisite gov.nl.ca and newfoundlandlabrador.com.

By Janayna Sercheli

If you wish to immigrate to Newfoundland e Labrador, contact Klaps Immigration Consulting for more information on immigration processes.