St John's

Capital and chief port of Newfoundland, Canada; population (2001 est) 99,200. Situated on the east coast of the Avalon peninsula, its deepwater harbour is connected to the Atlantic by a channel named the Narrows. St John's is the administrative, commercial, and service centre of the province. Fish-processing is the main industry; other manufactured products include textiles, fishing equipment, furniture, and machinery.

The oldest city in North America, St John's was founded by the English navigator Humphrey Gilbert in 1583 and named after St John the Baptist. Early British forts included Fort William (1689) and Fort George. St John's was attacked by the Dutch in 1665 and 1733, and captured by the French in 1696, 1708, and 1762; each time it was recaptured by British forces. The British withdrew the garrison in 1871. There were three major fires in the 19th century, and the modern city centre follows the street plan that resulted from rebuilding after the last fire in 1892. St John's was incorporated as a city in 1921, and became the capital of Newfoundland when it joined Canada in 1949.

St John's was an important British naval base during the American War of Independence, and again during World War II.

Economy Sited in the poorest Canadian province, St John's has been affected by the downturn in traditional industries such as fishing. High-tech industry and information services are being developed to counter this. There are a number of Canadian federal services sited in the city and a redeveloped area of wharves. Tourism is of growing importance.

Architecture Little remained of the city's original wooden houses after the 19th-century fires, but many of the replacements were also wooden. Religious foundations include the Roman Catholic Basilica of St John the Baptist (1890), the largest building in Newfoundland; and a neo-Gothic Anglican Cathedral (1849), designed by English architect George Gilbert Scott. Cabot Tower on the summit of Signal Hill commemorates the fourth centenary of the discovery of Newfoundland at St John's by Giovanni Caboto (1497). The Provincial Government meets in the Confederation Building (1960) on the outskirts. The Colonial Building was built in the 1850s and now houses the Provincial Archives.

Education and culture The city is the seat of the Memorial University, founded in 1925. It is also the site of the Newfoundland Museum, with displays about the city's maritime history and the island's former Beothuck inhabitants.

Historic events The inventor Guglielmo Marconi's first transatlantic radio message was received on Signal Hill in 1901. St John's was also the starting point of the first successful flight across the Atlantic Ocean by John Alcock and Arthur Brown in 1919.

Communications St John's is the eastern terminus of the Trans-Canadian Highway.