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The island of Newfoundland and the nearby area of Labrador (connected to mainland Canada) combine to form the eastern-most province of Canada. Most of the people who live in this province live on Newfoundland or some of the smaller surrounding islands. Almost half of the entire population lives in the capital city of St. John's.

Archeologists have discovered remains of Norse settlements, and it's possible that Viking Leif Erickson landed on Newfoundland in approximately 1001 AD. In the 1600s, the island became one of the earliest English colonies in the New World.

Partly due to competition over valuable fishing in its waters, the French, English and Spanish all ended up vying for control of the area. Newfoundland eventually became a dominion of Britain, and didn't actually become an official part of the Canadian Confederation until 1949. Its cultural heritage is thus more steeped in its British heritage than other parts of Canada.

The fishing industry remains an important part of the regional economy, along with mining and oil production. The area also gets a number of visitors in the warmer season, roughly June to September, so tourism also contributes to the economy.