Labrador

:This article is about the region in Canada. For other meanings, see Labrador (disambiguation).

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Labrador is a region on the easternmost coast of Canada. It forms the mainland portion of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, together with the island of Newfoundland from which it is separated by the Strait of Belle Isle. The region is part of the Labrador Peninsula.

Related Topics:
Canada - Mainland - Province - Newfoundland and Labrador - Newfoundland - Strait of Belle Isle - Labrador Peninsula

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The population of Labrador is 27,860 (2001 census), including some 30 percent Aboriginal peoples, including Inuit, Innu, and Métis. With an area of 294,330 km², it is the size of Italy. Its former capital was Battle Harbour.

Related Topics:
Inuit - Innu - Métis - 294,330 km² - Battle Harbour

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The name "Labrador" is one of the oldest names of European origin in Canada, almost as old as the name "Newfoundland". It is named after Portuguese explorer João Fernandes Lavrador who, together with Pedro de Barcelos, first sighted it in 1492.

Related Topics:
Portuguese - João Fernandes Lavrador - 1492

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Most non-Aboriginal settlement of Labrador occurred due to fishing villages, missions, and fur trading outposts; modern settlements have been created as a result of iron ore mining, hydroelectric developments, and military installations. Until modern times, difficult sea travel and lack of general transportation facilities discouraged settlement. In the 1760s, Moravian missionaries began settling, building missions and often sharing in the fur trade with the Hudson's Bay Company, which was the dominant force on the peninsula until 1870. Claims have persisted concerning the Ungava Peninsula with Quebec, although they were formally settled in 1927 by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Related Topics:
1760s - Moravian - Fur trade - Hudson's Bay Company - 1870 - Ungava Peninsula - Quebec - Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

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John James Audubon called Labrador "the most extensive and dreariest wilderness I have ever beheld".

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