St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

St. John's, 1991 population 95,770, is a Canadian city, and the provincial capital and largest city of Newfoundland and Labrador. The city is located on the northeast coast of the Avalon Peninsula[?], in southeastern Newfoundland island. The city's industries are chiefly related to fishing and include shipbuilding, the manufacturing of fishing equipment and marine engines, and the storing, preserving, and processing of fish.

St. John's is one of the oldest settlements in North America. In 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert took possession of the region for England. The settlement changed hands several times between France and England, until becoming permanently British in 1762 and serving as a naval base during the American Revolution and in the War of 1812. It was at St. John's that Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless message, and it was from there that the first nonstop transatlantic flight was made in 1919.

St. John's is the site of the Newfoundland Museum[?], and of Memorial University.

Not to be confused with Saint John, New Brunswick. The name is possessive because it is short for St. John's Harbour.

See also: Canada, List of Canadian provinces and territories, List of cities in Canada, List of communities in Newfoundland and Labrador