Labrador Peninsula: Difference between revisions
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The '''Labrador Peninsula''', also called '''Quebec-Labrador Peninsula''',<ref | The '''Labrador Peninsula''', also called '''Quebec-Labrador Peninsula''',<ref>{{cite web |author1=François Trudel |title=Indigenous people and the fur trade in the Quebec-Labrador peninsula |url=https://atlas.cieq.ca/le-nord/autochtones-et-traite-des-fourrures-dans-la-peninsule-du-quebec-labrador.pdf |website=Les Presses de l’Université Laval (coll. “Historical Atlas of Quebec”) |publisher=Centre interuniversitaire d’études québécoises (CIEQ) |access-date=27 August 2024 |pages=3 of 52 |date=2001 |quote=The Peninsula of Quebec-Labrador, sometimes also called Ungava, Labrador, Ungava-Labrador or, politically, New Quebec and Labrador, is a vast territory of approximately one million square kilometers.}}</ref><ref name="Quebec Labrador Peninsula">{{cite web |title=Quebec Labrador Peninsula |url=https://toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/ct/ToposWeb/Fiche.aspx?no_seq=285985 |website=Gouvernement of Quebec |publisher=Commission de Toponymy Quebec |access-date=23 August 2024 |date=18 June 1993 |quote=Over the years, many variations of the name have been used: Terraagricule (1558); Land of Labor (1575); Estotilandt (1597) or Estotilande (1656); Terra Cortereale (1597); New Britain (1656).}}</ref> is a large [[peninsula]] in eastern [[Canada]]. It is bounded by [[Hudson Bay]] to the west, the [[Hudson Strait]] to the north, the [[Labrador Sea]] to the east, [[Strait of Belle Isle]] and the [[Gulf of St. Lawrence]] to the southeast. The peninsula includes the region of [[Labrador]],<ref name="Albert Peter Low and the exploration of Quebec-Labrador">{{cite web |author1=Fabien Caron |title=Albert Peter Low and the exploration of Quebec-Labrador |url=https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/cgq/1965-v9-n18-cgq2593/020595ar.pdf |website=Érudit |publisher=Center for Nordic Studies, Laval University |access-date=23 August 2024 |pages=16 |language=en, fr |date=1965 |quote=... he had the consuming curiosity of the born explorer which must always see the other side of the hill or the other end of the river.}}</ref> which is part of the province of [[Newfoundland and Labrador]], and the regions of [[Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean]], [[Côte-Nord]], and [[Nord-du-Québec]], which are in the province of [[Quebec]]. It has an area of {{cvt|1,400,000|km2|sqmi|sigfig=3}}. | ||
==Location and geography== | ==Location and geography== | ||
The peninsula is surrounded by sea on all sides, except for the southwest where it widens into the general continental mainland. The northwestern part of the Labrador Peninsula is shaped as a lesser peninsula, the [[Ungava Peninsula]], surrounded by Hudson Bay, the [[Hudson Strait]], and [[Ungava Bay]]. The northernmost point of the Ungava Peninsula, [[Cape Wolstenholme]], also serves as the northernmost point of the Labrador Peninsula and of the province of Quebec. The peninsula is a [[plateau]] threaded by river valleys. There are several mountain ranges. The [[Torngat Mountains]], located in the northern part of the peninsula, contain the highest point of the peninsula, [[Mount Caubvick]], which at {{convert|1652|m|ft}} is also the highest point of mainland Canada east of [[Alberta]]. The mountains also host [[Torngat Mountains National Park]], the only national park of Canada in Labrador. The park is located in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the adjacent [[Kuururjuaq National Park]] is located in the province of Quebec.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} | |||
The peninsula is surrounded by sea on all sides, except for the southwest where it widens into the general continental mainland. The northwestern part of the Labrador Peninsula is shaped as a lesser peninsula, the [[Ungava Peninsula]], surrounded by Hudson Bay, the [[Hudson Strait]], and [[Ungava Bay]]. The northernmost point of the Ungava Peninsula, [[Cape Wolstenholme]], also serves as the northernmost point of the Labrador Peninsula and of the province of Quebec. The peninsula is a [[plateau]] threaded by river valleys. There are several mountain ranges. The [[Torngat Mountains]], located in the northern part of the peninsula, contain the highest point of the peninsula, [[Mount Caubvick]], which at {{convert|1652|m|ft}} is also the highest point of mainland Canada east of [[Alberta]]. The mountains also host [[Torngat Mountains National Park]], the only national park of Canada | <gallery widths=200 heights=160> | ||
File:Typical landscape scenery of the Labrador Peninsula.jpg|Typical landscape scenery of the interior of the Labrador Peninsula, taken near [[Schefferville, Quebec]], in summer 2021 | |||
File:Nain Labrador 2008.JPG|A hillside at [[Nain, Newfoundland and Labrador|Nain]], east coast of the peninsula on a September 2008 autumn day | |||
</gallery> | |||
===Hydrology=== | ===Hydrology=== | ||
Due to it being covered almost entirely by the [[Canadian Shield]] | Due to it being covered almost entirely by the [[Canadian Shield]]—a vast, rocky plateau with a history of glaciation—the peninsula has a large number of lakes. The province of Quebec alone has more than half a million<ref>{{Citation |title=L'eau. La vie. L'avenir. Politique nationale de l'eau |language=fr |publisher=Bibliothèque nationale du Québec |url=http://www.mddelcc.gouv.qc.ca/eau/politique/politique-integral.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.mddelcc.gouv.qc.ca/eau/politique/politique-integral.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |isbn=2-550-40074-7 |year=2002}}</ref> lakes of varying size. The largest body of water on the Labrador Peninsula is the [[Smallwood Reservoir]], but the largest natural lake is [[Lake Mistassini]]. Other lakes of note include the [[Manicouagan Reservoir]], the [[Caniapiscau Reservoir]], and the [[La Grande 2 Reservoir|La Grande 2]] and [[La Grande 3 Reservoir|La Grande 3]] reservoirs. Due to a history of hydroelectric development, the majority of the larger freshwater lakes on the peninsula are reservoirs. In addition to an abundance of lakes, the peninsula also has many rivers. The longest, the [[La Grande River]], is {{convert|900|km|mi}} long and flows westwards across nearly half the peninsula, emptying into [[James Bay]]. Other rivers of note include the [[Eastmain River]], [[Rupert River]], and [[Churchill River (Atlantic)|Churchill River]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2019}} | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
Prior to European colonization, the peninsula was inhabited chiefly by [[Cree]] | Prior to European colonization, the peninsula was inhabited chiefly by [[Cree]] and [[Inuit]] peoples. The [[Innu]] Nation in the southeast area of the peninsula referred to as ''[[Nitassinan]]'' (ᓂᑕᔅᓯᓇᓐ, meaning "our land" in the [[Innu language]]) and the [[Naskapi]] whose territories just to the north called ''St'aschinuw'' (ᒋᑦ ᐊᔅᒋᓄᐤ, also meaning "our land")<ref>{{cite book |last=MacKenzie |first=Marguerite |title=Naskapi Lexicon |publisher=Naskapi Development Corp |year=1994 |location=Kawawachikamach, Quebec}}</ref> speak closely related languages; while the East Cree of [[Eeyou Istchee (territory)|Eeyou Istchee (ᐄᔨᔨᐤ/ᐄᔨᔫ/ᐄᓅ ᐊᔅᒌ)]] speak a more distantly related language.<ref>{{cite book |title=Nitassinan: The Innu Struggle to Reclaim Their Homeland |publisher=[[Douglas & McIntyre]] |date=December 1991 |page=240 |last=Wadden |first=Marie |author-link=Marie Wadden |isbn=978-1-55365-731-6 |url=http://www.dmpibooks.com/book/nitassinan |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130121161501/http://www.dmpibooks.com/book/nitassinan |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-21 |access-date=2012-11-19 }}</ref> [[Inuit]] homelands are [[Nunavik]] (ᓄᓇᕕᒃ) in northern Quebec, [[Nunatsiavut]] (ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕗᑦ) in northern Labrador and [[NunatuKavut]] (ᓄᓇᑐᑲᕗᑦ) in southern Labrador. The area became known as ''[[Markland]]'' in [[Greenlandic Norse]] and its inhabitants were known as the ''[[Skræling]]''. | ||
It is widely accepted that the peninsula is named after Portuguese explorer [[João Fernandes Lavrador]]. He was granted a patent by King [[Manuel I of Portugal]] in 1499 that gave him the right to explore that part of the Atlantic Ocean as set out in the [[Treaty of Tordesillas]]. Together with [[Pero de Barcelos]], he first sighted Labrador in 1498, and charted the coasts of southwestern [[Greenland]] and of adjacent the northeastern [[North America]] around 1498 and gave notice of them in Portugal and Europe. His landowner status allowed him to use the title ''lavrador'', Portuguese for "farmer" or "landholder", but "labrador" in Spanish and Galician means "agricultural worker" ({{IPA|pt|lɐvɾɐˈðoɾ}}). He actually gave the name of ''Terra do Lavrador'' to Greenland, which was the first land that he sighted, but eventually, the name was spread to all areas until it was set for Labrador.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.heritage.nf.ca/exploration/portuguese.html |title=The Portuguese Explorers |publisher=Memorial University of Newfoundland |access-date=24 October 2011}}</ref> | It is widely accepted that the peninsula is named after Portuguese explorer [[João Fernandes Lavrador]]. He was granted a patent by King [[Manuel I of Portugal]] in 1499 that gave him the right to explore that part of the Atlantic Ocean as set out in the [[Treaty of Tordesillas]]. Together with [[Pero de Barcelos]], he first sighted Labrador in 1498, and charted the coasts of southwestern [[Greenland]] and of adjacent the northeastern [[North America]] around 1498 and gave notice of them in Portugal and Europe. His landowner status allowed him to use the title ''lavrador'', Portuguese for "farmer" or "landholder", but "labrador" in Spanish and Galician means "agricultural worker" ({{IPA|pt|lɐvɾɐˈðoɾ}}). He actually gave the name of ''Terra do Lavrador'' to Greenland, which was the first land that he sighted, but eventually, the name was spread to all areas until it was set for Labrador.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.heritage.nf.ca/exploration/portuguese.html |title=The Portuguese Explorers |publisher=Memorial University of Newfoundland |access-date=24 October 2011}}</ref> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{ | {{Reflist}} | ||
{{Authority control}} | {{Authority control}} | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Landforms of Côte-Nord]] | ||
[[Category:Landforms of Nord-du-Québec]] | [[Category:Landforms of Nord-du-Québec]] | ||
[[Category:Landforms of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean]] | [[Category:Landforms of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean]] | ||
[[Category:Peninsulas of Newfoundland and Labrador]] | |||
[[Category:Peninsulas of Quebec]] | |||
Latest revision as of 20:10, 21 October 2025
Template:Short description Template:Use Canadian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox country geography Template:Contains special characters The Labrador Peninsula, also called Quebec-Labrador Peninsula,[1][2] is a large peninsula in eastern Canada. It is bounded by Hudson Bay to the west, the Hudson Strait to the north, the Labrador Sea to the east, Strait of Belle Isle and the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the southeast. The peninsula includes the region of Labrador,[3] which is part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the regions of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Côte-Nord, and Nord-du-Québec, which are in the province of Quebec. It has an area of Template:Cvt.
Location and geography
The peninsula is surrounded by sea on all sides, except for the southwest where it widens into the general continental mainland. The northwestern part of the Labrador Peninsula is shaped as a lesser peninsula, the Ungava Peninsula, surrounded by Hudson Bay, the Hudson Strait, and Ungava Bay. The northernmost point of the Ungava Peninsula, Cape Wolstenholme, also serves as the northernmost point of the Labrador Peninsula and of the province of Quebec. The peninsula is a plateau threaded by river valleys. There are several mountain ranges. The Torngat Mountains, located in the northern part of the peninsula, contain the highest point of the peninsula, Mount Caubvick, which at Template:Convert is also the highest point of mainland Canada east of Alberta. The mountains also host Torngat Mountains National Park, the only national park of Canada in Labrador. The park is located in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the adjacent Kuururjuaq National Park is located in the province of Quebec.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
-
Typical landscape scenery of the interior of the Labrador Peninsula, taken near Schefferville, Quebec, in summer 2021
-
A hillside at Nain, east coast of the peninsula on a September 2008 autumn day
Hydrology
Due to it being covered almost entirely by the Canadian Shield—a vast, rocky plateau with a history of glaciation—the peninsula has a large number of lakes. The province of Quebec alone has more than half a million[4] lakes of varying size. The largest body of water on the Labrador Peninsula is the Smallwood Reservoir, but the largest natural lake is Lake Mistassini. Other lakes of note include the Manicouagan Reservoir, the Caniapiscau Reservoir, and the La Grande 2 and La Grande 3 reservoirs. Due to a history of hydroelectric development, the majority of the larger freshwater lakes on the peninsula are reservoirs. In addition to an abundance of lakes, the peninsula also has many rivers. The longest, the La Grande River, is Template:Convert long and flows westwards across nearly half the peninsula, emptying into James Bay. Other rivers of note include the Eastmain River, Rupert River, and Churchill River.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
History
Prior to European colonization, the peninsula was inhabited chiefly by Cree and Inuit peoples. The Innu Nation in the southeast area of the peninsula referred to as Nitassinan (ᓂᑕᔅᓯᓇᓐ, meaning "our land" in the Innu language) and the Naskapi whose territories just to the north called St'aschinuw (ᒋᑦ ᐊᔅᒋᓄᐤ, also meaning "our land")[5] speak closely related languages; while the East Cree of Eeyou Istchee (ᐄᔨᔨᐤ/ᐄᔨᔫ/ᐄᓅ ᐊᔅᒌ) speak a more distantly related language.[6] Inuit homelands are Nunavik (ᓄᓇᕕᒃ) in northern Quebec, Nunatsiavut (ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕗᑦ) in northern Labrador and NunatuKavut (ᓄᓇᑐᑲᕗᑦ) in southern Labrador. The area became known as Markland in Greenlandic Norse and its inhabitants were known as the Skræling.
It is widely accepted that the peninsula is named after Portuguese explorer João Fernandes Lavrador. He was granted a patent by King Manuel I of Portugal in 1499 that gave him the right to explore that part of the Atlantic Ocean as set out in the Treaty of Tordesillas. Together with Pero de Barcelos, he first sighted Labrador in 1498, and charted the coasts of southwestern Greenland and of adjacent the northeastern North America around 1498 and gave notice of them in Portugal and Europe. His landowner status allowed him to use the title lavrador, Portuguese for "farmer" or "landholder", but "labrador" in Spanish and Galician means "agricultural worker" (Script error: No such module "IPA".). He actually gave the name of Terra do Lavrador to Greenland, which was the first land that he sighted, but eventually, the name was spread to all areas until it was set for Labrador.[7]
References
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