Newfoundland and Labrador Flashcards
6 cards from real CANADIAN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Newfoundland and Labrador flashcards as text
Which Indigenous group historically inhabited the island of Newfoundland and was declared extinct in 1829 with the death of Shanawdithit?
Answer: Beothuk
The Beothuk were the Indigenous people native to the island of Newfoundland. Their population declined catastrophically due to conflict, disease, and displacement by European settlers. Shanawdithit, the last known Beothuk, died in 1829, marking the extinction of her people.
Newfoundland and Labrador was the last province to join Canadian Confederation. What was the margin of victory in the final 1949 referendum that decided the outcome?
Answer: Less than 2 percentage points
The second referendum on Confederation, held on July 22, 1948, passed by a razor-thin margin of approximately 52.3% to 47.7% — a difference of less than 2 percentage points (roughly 6,700 votes). The closeness of the vote reflected deep divisions over whether to join Canada or pursue other options like responsible government.
The Grand Banks of Newfoundland were once among the world's most productive fishing grounds. Which international body now helps regulate fishing in this area beyond Canada's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone?
Answer: The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO)
The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) is the intergovernmental body responsible for managing and conserving fisheries resources in the Northwest Atlantic, including portions of the Grand Banks beyond Canada's 200-nautical-mile EEZ. Canada has long advocated for stronger NAFO enforcement, especially after the 1992 cod moratorium.
Labrador City and Wabush are twin mining towns in western Labrador. What primary resource extracted there is critical to Canadian steel production?
Answer: Iron ore
Labrador City and Wabush sit atop one of the world's largest iron ore deposits, the Labrador Trough. Iron ore mined here is a vital input for steel manufacturing. The Iron Ore Company of Canada operates major facilities in the region, making western Labrador a cornerstone of Canada's mining economy.
The Churchill Falls hydroelectric generating station in Labrador is one of the largest in the world, but Newfoundland and Labrador receives little financial benefit from most of its power. Why?
Answer: A 1969 contract locks Hydro-Québec into receiving most of the power at fixed rates well below market value until 2041
Under a 1969 contract, Hydro-Québec purchases the vast majority of Churchill Falls output at prices fixed at the original 1969 rate — far below modern market rates. Newfoundland has repeatedly challenged this agreement, including at the Supreme Court of Canada, but the contract has been upheld. The deal is widely viewed as one of the most costly business agreements in Canadian history for Newfoundland.
Which site in Newfoundland and Labrador is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that provides evidence of the earliest known European settlement in North America, predating Columbus by nearly 500 years?
Answer: L'Anse aux Meadows
L'Anse aux Meadows, located at the northern tip of the Great Northern Peninsula, is a Norse site dating to around 1000 CE. Discovered in 1960 by Helge and Anne Stine Ingstad, it is the only authenticated Viking settlement in North America and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. Red Bay is also a UNESCO site but dates to Basque whalers of the 16th century.