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Labrador Peninsula

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A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most sides. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula .

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21-658: The Labrador Peninsula or Quebec-Labrador Peninsula , 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 , 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

42-469: A basin . This may create peninsulas, and occurred for example in the Keweenaw Peninsula . In the case of formation from meltwater, melting glaciers deposit sediment and form moraines , which act as dams for the meltwater. This may create bodies of water that surround the land, forming peninsulas. If deposition formed the peninsula, the peninsula was composed of sedimentary rock , which

63-682: 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 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

84-467: 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 on the Labrador Peninsula. The park is located in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, whereas the adjacent Kuururjuaq National Park is located in the province of Quebec. Due to it being covered almost entirely by the Canadian Shield

105-539: Is generally defined as a piece of land surrounded on most sides by water. A peninsula may be bordered by more than one body of water, and the body of water does not have to be an ocean or a sea. A piece of land on a very tight river bend or one between two rivers is sometimes said to form a peninsula, for example in the New Barbadoes Neck in New Jersey , United States. A peninsula may be connected to

126-635: The Eastmain River , Rupert River , and Churchill River . Prior to European colonization, the peninsula was inhabited chiefly by Cree people, notably the Innu Nation in the southeast area of the peninsula, who referred to their country as Nitassinan (ᓂᑕᔅᓯᓇᓐ), meaning "our land" in the Innu language . Other peoples on the peninsula include the East Cree of Eeyou Istchee (ᐄᔨᔨᐤ/ᐄᔨᔫ/ᐄᓅ ᐊᔅᒌ) ,

147-520: 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 900 kilometres (560 mi) long and flows westwards across nearly half the peninsula. Other rivers of note include

168-683: The Naskapi whose territories are called St'aschinuw (ᒋᑦ ᐊᔅᒋᓄᐤ, also meaning "our land") as well as the Inuit of Nunavik , Nunatsiavut and NunatuKavut . 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

189-462: The Labrador and land of the Labrador (modern-day Labrador ), respectively, after him. Upon his return from Greenland, Lavrador sailed to Bristol . He received a patent for exploration from King Henry VII . In 1501 Lavrador set sail for discovery of lands in the name of England. He was never heard from again. Lavrador was granted title to much of the lands he had discovered and is considered

210-467: 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 1,652 metres (5,420 ft)

231-499: The case of Florida , continental drift, marine sediment, and marine transgressions were all contributing factors to its shape. In the case of formation from glaciers (e.g., the Antarctic Peninsula or Cape Cod ), peninsulas can be created due to glacial erosion , meltwater or deposition . If erosion formed the peninsula, softer and harder rocks were present, and since the glacier only erodes softer rock, it formed

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252-531: The mainland via an isthmus , for example, in the Isthmus of Corinth which connects to the Peloponnese peninsula. Peninsulas can be formed from continental drift , glacial erosion , glacial meltwater , glacial deposition , marine sediment , marine transgressions , volcanoes, divergent boundaries or river sedimentation. More than one factor may play into the formation of a peninsula. For example, in

273-402: 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. Peninsula The word peninsula derives from Latin paeninsula , from paene  'almost' and insula  'island'. The word entered English in the 16th century. A peninsula

294-481: The province of Quebec . It has an area of 1,400,000 km (541,000 sq mi). 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

315-794: 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" ( Portuguese pronunciation: [lɐvɾɐˈðoɾ] ). He actually gave

336-487: The right to explore the part of the Atlantic Ocean as set out in the Treaty of Tordesillas . Together with Pero de Barcelos , Lavrador first sighted what is now known as Labrador in 1498. Lavrador also charted the coasts of Southwestern Greenland and of adjacent Northeastern North America around 1498; he reported on these observations and gave notice of them in Europe. The areas are believed to have been named island of

357-468: The sediment is deposited, forming a delta peninsula. Marine transgressions (changes in sea level) may form peninsulas, but also may affect existing peninsulas. For example, the water level may change, which causes a peninsula to become an island during high water levels. Similarly, wet weather causing higher water levels make peninsulas appear smaller, while dry weather make them appear larger. Sea level rise from global warming will permanently reduce

378-417: The size of some peninsulas over time. Peninsulas are noted for their use as shelter for humans and Neanderthals . The landform is advantageous because it gives hunting access to both land and sea animals. They can also serve as markers of a nation's borders. Jo%C3%A3o Fernandes Lavrador João Fernandes Lavrador (1453–1501) ( Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuˈɐ̃w fɨɾˈnɐ̃dɨʒ lɐvɾɐˈðoɾ] )

399-564: The volcano erupts near shallow water. Marine sediment may form peninsulas by the creation of limestone . A rift peninsula may form as a result of a divergent boundary in plate tectonics (e.g. the Arabian Peninsula ), while a convergent boundary may also form peninsulas (e.g. Gibraltar or the Indian subcontinent ). Peninsulas can also form due to sedimentation in rivers. When a river carrying sediment flows into an ocean,

420-490: Was a Portuguese explorer of the late 15th century. He was one of the first modern explorers of the Northeast coasts of North America , including the large Labrador peninsula , which was named after him by European settlers in eastern Canada. The popular dog breed Labrador Retriever is named after the peninsula and thus by effect also bears his name. Lavrador was granted a patent by King Manuel I in 1498 that gave him

441-504: Was created from a large deposit of glacial drift . The hill of drift becomes a peninsula if the hill formed near water but was still connected to the mainland, for example during the formation of Cape Cod about 23,000 years ago. In the case of formation from volcanoes, when a volcano erupts magma near water, it may form a peninsula (e.g., the Alaskan Peninsula ). Peninsulas formed from volcanoes are especially common when

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