哈,这个帖子又出来了。我们学校这个学期的口语考试是选择加拿大的一个省做介绍。我就选了Newfoundland and Labrador。下面是偶准备的。。。
Newfoundland and Labrador
Location: North-eastern corner of North America
Land area: 405,720 km²
Population: Over 500,000 people, 2nd smallest population in the country
Capital City: St. Johns
1. History
2.Culture
3.Industries
4.Problem
1. History (The Earliest Inhabitant)
1) The Earliest inhabitant - Beothuk
Beothuk is now considered as the earliest inhabitant in Newfoundland and Labrador. “Beothuk” means "people" in the Beothuk language. Most of them lived on fishing.
2) Immigrant started from 1000 years ago - Northern European
The Vikings (sea rovers/robbers) from Northern Europe first landed in Newfoundland and Labrador more than 1000 years ago. Since then many explorers had visited this province. Between the 16th & 18th centuries, fishermen from European nations settled in the sheltered bays of this province to catch fish.
3) The Conflict between Europeans and Beothuk
The 1st conflict was occurred around 1006 when parties of Norsemen attempted to establish permanent settlements along the coast. According to Norse sayings, the native people responded so strong that the newcomers eventually gave up their original intentions to settle. Then Norsemen went and came, fighting continued for hundreds years.
When other Europeans arrived, beginning with John Cabot in 1497, contact with the Beothuks was established. But no exact figure was given about how many Beothuks on the island at this time, it was vary from 1,000 to 5,000.
As European settlement became year-round (not only visit) and expanded to new areas of the coast, the area available to the native Beothuks to do fishing was gradually reduced. By the beginning of the 19th century there were few Beothuks remaining, many having been killed in misunderstandings with settlers or having died because they lack of food or medicine. Government tried to open a dialogue with the native peoples of Newfoundland, but it was too late to save them.
The culture of Beothuks is now extinct, remembered only in museum, historical and archaeological records. (Now this province does have some native people there, mainly Indians. There are even tribes in some parts of Newfoundland. But they are only minority.)
4) The 10th and newest province in Canada 1949, Newfoundland, In 2002, the official name of the province changed to “Newfoundland and Labrador”.
2. Cultural
1) Music and Spoken English - with Scottish and Irish accents
The culture of a certain place is also related with its history. It is one of the few places left in the Americas where you can still hear the Scottish and Irish accents clearly. Form 16th to 18th centuries, nasty landlords in England did not want tenant farmers paying small rents when they could get more money from sheep farming. The landlords drove the tenant out of the farm. It was called the “land clearances” in England history. So, Many Scottish and Irish tenant farmers immigrated to and settled in the Newfoundland and Labrador. That is why the people in Newfoundland and Labrador still keep old British accents.
Even the music from this province now still has deep Scottish & Irish roots. A couple of years ago, there was a group of singers who were called themselves as “Island Girls”, gave a performance tour in Europe where they received big welcome, as they sang songs with superb traditional music. Also a Band in Newfoundland called “The Cottars (farmers in Scotland) ” would remind you the Scottish songs in old days.
2) Art ? The Rooms and Symbols of The Province
The province has many libraries and museums. People can experience the richness of its local and international arts. The Art Rooms which unites the Provincial Museum, the Provincial Art Gallery and the Provincial Archives under one roof. It has the newest world class facility, and plays host to travelling exhibitions and artists. (Same as Granville Island in Vancouver)
In the Rooms, you can see many works of the wildlife. The culture of a certain place is always related with its geography. The whale is one of the symbols of Newfoundland, and the other one is a bird called puffin. They are most abundant in the Bird Island in Bay Bulls (a place for whale and puffin watching).
Here is one of the arts. (Sample show) It is a unique work and is reproduced and hand painted from an original wildlife painting on Slate (A piece of the rock cut for use as roofing or surfacing material or as a writing surface). You feel the whale is attached to the slate when you touch it because of the thickness of the paint or colorants.
3) Life style ? Simple, Relax and Interesting
The most impressive thing there is the people. People are extremely nice, friendly and kind. May be because of their non-stressful lifestyle. Normally they are relaxed and hardly get stressed, and that explains why most of them live a long long life. Someone in his or her 80s is considered young. People in there 90s and even above 100 are seen quite often.
a. The winter is extremely long there from early November to next late May. Skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling are popular among residents and tourists.
b. Summer makes everyone excited. Local people get close to Mother Nature and meanwhile get some nice food. One of the Popular Local Activities in Summer is Berry picking. Berries grow in bush, which is a short plant in mountain area. Normally they are about 20-30 cm in height. You have to sit down on the ground or bend your knees to get the berries.
c. Local people make Blueberry Jam since they can not eat the berries all at a time. The community Centers often hold “Regional Jam competition”. Every family brings the Jam having made at home to the public house. They taste various Jam and even have a ranking for them.
d. Newfoundland blueberry and apple jams are famous throughout Canada, especially those home made jams. They are not from manufactories and without preservatives present. (Sample)
3. Industries
Major industries: Oil & Gas, Mining, Forestry, Tourism, Fishery, Farming, Service and Culture.
1) Fishery - collapsed in the late 1990’s
Until the late 20th century Newfoundland and Labrador was home to one of the world’s richest fisheries.
A collapse of the fishery occurred in the late 1990’s due to over-fishing. Decades of over-fishing by local fisherman as well as Europeans has depleted the wild stocks of some fish species such as Atlantic cod.
2) Oil & Gas, Mining - Major industries
Today the province’s economy has expanded, particularly in the area of oil and gas exploration. Several large oil fields have been discovered in this provincial waters and are currently being explored and developed. Newfoundland and Labrador is becoming a world leader in its oil and gas exploration. Labrador ? one of the world’s largest nickel discoveries.
3) Housing & Real Estate ? affordable
Affordable housing is available throughout the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In comparison to major Canadian cities, home ownership rates tend to be proportionally higher in Newfoundland and Labrador.
People from outside Newfoundland (even from different countries) purchase nice cottages near the coast. Those cottages only cost around10,000 $ per. It is a small house with all the facilities for water and electricity. Heating device is not normally seen, because the owners only spent the summer holiday there.
The price for a regular house is basically around 100,000 to 200,000 CAD.(much nicer than houses in eastern of Vancouver)
(Show Photos)
Problem (decrease in population)
The decrease in population was caused by :
1) net out-migration. The number of people entered Newfoundland and Labrador from other provinces and territories is less than people left the province for other parts of Canada.
2) Net international migration is also negative figure in the previous four years.
3) Natural population change has been declining significantly over the past decade due mainly to falling births. The province will soon be faced with persistent negative natural population change (i.e., the number of deaths will exceed the number of births, even the death rate is so low - long life).
Questions:
1) Is there any Beothuk left in Newfoundland and Labrador now? Why? They died by being killed, staving and sickness.
1) What are the Symbols of Newfoundland and Labrador?- Whale and Puffin?
2) Can you tell how is the Art Rooms look like?
3) What does it cause Fishery collapse in the late 1990’s? ? Over fishing
5) What is the Problem of Newfoundland and Labrador - Decrease in population