The capital of Newfoundland, undisputedly the oldest "European" town in North America, occupies a spectacular site on one of the finest natural harbors in the world. Entered through "the Narrows", a 200 m (660 ft) wide passage flanked by cliffs 150 m (490 ft) high, the harbor widens out into a basin some 800 m (2625 ft) across, surrounded by
steep rocky slopes on which St John's is built.
Typical of St John's are the traditional square, flat-roofed, wooden houses painted in different colors. Many date back to Victorian times; sadly however, because of the many fires to engulf the town in the 18th and 19th c., few have survived from earlier years.
Name
The city was named after St John the Baptist, John Cabot having reputedly discovered Newfoundland on June 24th (sic!) 1497.
History
Whatever uncertainty surrounds the exact date of its discovery, there is no doubt that, from about 1500, the harbor was used as a base by fishing vessels from various European countries, leading to Britain's claiming official possession in 1583 in the reign of Elizabeth I.
There followed a long period during which, having developed into a thriving fishery and trading post, St John's was "governed" by a succession of ruthless "Fishing Admirals".
In subsequent centuries British possession was disputed with the Dutch, Portuguese, Spaniards and particularly the French. In addition St John's was attacked on a number of occasions by pirates. British sovereignty was finally confirmed in 1762 following a short period of French occupation.
In the 19th c. under British rule the city developed rapidly as a center of commerce, despite being devastated several times by fire - in 1892 it was almost completely rebuilt. Its prosperity continued into the early 20th c. and was revived during the Second World War when St John's became the departure point for North Atlantic convoys. In 1949 Newfoundland joined the Canadian Confederation, a development which resulted in the city's decline. But recent years have seen the capital revitalized, especially following the discovery of oil reserves offshore.
Transatlantic communication
The city played an historic part in the development of transport and communications. It was in St John's that the first transatlantic wireless signal was received in 1901 and it was also from St John's that John Alcock and Arthur Brown took off on the first successful non-stop flight across the Atlantic.
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