St. John's

St. John's
1. a seaport in and the capital of Newfoundland, on the SE part of the island. 86,576.
2. a seaport on and the capital of Antigua and Barbuda, in the E West Indies. 13,000.
Also, St. John.

* * *

 capital and largest city of Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, at the eastern end of the Avalon Peninsula. It stands on the steep, western slope of an excellent landlocked harbour that opens suddenly to the Atlantic. The entrance, known as the Narrows, guarded by Signal Hill (500 feet [150 metres]) and South Side Hills (620 feet [190 metres]), is about 1,400 feet (425 metres) wide, narrowing to 600 feet (185 metres) between Pancake and Chain rocks. It was probably visited in 1497 by John Cabot (Cabot, John) on the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist and was early used as a haven for fishing vessels. In 1583 a marker was placed on the shore by Sir Humphrey Gilbert (Gilbert, Sir Humphrey) claiming possession of Newfoundland for England, but permanent settlement was not made until the early 17th century. St. John's prospered as a fishing port, despite frequent attacks by the French and disastrous fires in 1816–17, 1846, and 1892.

      The city, one of the oldest and the most easterly in North America, now dominates the economic and cultural life of the province. It is the island of Newfoundland's commercial and industrial centre, a major ocean port, and the base for the provincial fishing fleet; it is also the easternmost terminus for the Trans-Canada Highway and for several national airlines. Among its varied industries are shipbuilding, fish processing, brewing, tanning and the manufacture of clothing, hardware, marine engines, paint, and furniture.

      The city's two cathedrals (both dedicated to St. John the Baptist) are the ornate basilica (1841; Roman Catholic) and the ecclesiastical-Gothic Anglican cathedral (originating in 1816 and rebuilt after the great fire of 1892). The Confederation Building (1850) replaced the Colonial Building (1860) as provincial headquarters and houses a military and naval museum. St. John's is the home of the Memorial University of Newfoundland (1925) and Queen's College (1841; Anglican), and its Newfoundland Museum displays relics of the extinct Beothuck tribe (Newfoundland's original inhabitants). Signal Hill Historic Park, once a location for signaling the approach of ships, memorializes several events, including John Cabot's presumed landfall (commemorated by a tower [1897]); the French-English struggle for Newfoundland that ended in 1762 with the last shot fired on the hill (remnants of the fortifications, notably the Queen's Battery, remain); and the reception atop the hill at the Cabot Tower by Guglielmo Marconi (Marconi, Guglielmo) of the first transatlantic wireless message in 1901 from Europe. From the city's Lester's Field, the aviators Captain (later Sir) John Alcock (Alcock, Sir John William) and Lieutenant Arthur Brown (Brown, Sir Arthur Whitten) took off in 1919 to make the first nonstop transatlantic flight to Clifden, Ire. The Quidi Vidi Battery, which once guarded the entrance to a small fishing harbour east of Signal Hill leading to a small lake, has been restored to its 1812 appearance; the annual (August) regatta, held since 1828 on the lake, is one of the oldest organized sports events in North America. Inc. 1888. Pop. (2006) city, 100,646; metropolitan area, 181,113.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • John Brown (abolitionist) — John Brown Daguerreotype of Brown, ca.1856. Born May 9, 1800(1800 05 09) Torrington, Connecticut Died …   Wikipedia

  • John Henry (folklore) — John Henry is an American folk hero, who has been the subject of numerous songs, stories, plays, and novels. Like other Big Men such as Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, and Iron John, John Henry also served as a mythical representation of a group within… …   Wikipedia

  • John Cena — John Felix Anthony Cena Jr. John Cena lors du Tribute to the Troops 2010 Données générales Nom compl …   Wikipédia en Français

  • John MacCain — John McCain  Ne doit pas être confondu avec McCain Foods. John McCain …   Wikipédia en Français

  • John Sidney McCain III — John McCain  Ne doit pas être confondu avec McCain Foods. John McCain …   Wikipédia en Français

  • John Wayne — Dans Rio Bravo (1959) Données clés Nom de naissance Marion Michael Morrison …   Wikipédia en Français

  • John Wayne/Filmografie — John Wayne im Jahre 1943 John Waynes Filmografie nennt die Filme, in denen der Filmschauspieler John Wayne mitgewirkt hat. In seiner 50 jährigen Filmkarriere war er in mehr als 150 Filmen zu sehen. Bis auf wenige Ausnahmen, überwiegend zu… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Cleese — Cleese in 2008 Birth name John Marwood Cleese Born 27 October 1939 (1939 10 27) …   Wikipedia

  • John Bunyan — Born 28 November 1628(1628 11 28) Bedfordshire, England1 Died 31 August 1688(1688 08 31) (aged 59) E …   Wikipedia

  • John Cage — John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 ndash; August 12, 1992) was an American composer. A pioneer of chance music, electronic music and non standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post war avant garde and …   Wikipedia

  • John Zorn — Zorn performing in 2006 Background information Also known as Dekoboko Hajime, Rav Tzizit Born September 2, 1953 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”