Culture and History of St. John's
St. John’s is one of the oldest settlements in all of North America. The first European to visit the province of Newfoundland was Italian explorer John Cabot in 1497. In the following years, both the British and French established a number of colonies in the area, including St. John’s. Due to its prime location and important fishery, the city was a battleground between the English and French. In 1792, the British finally acquired control over St. John’s, and it remained a British colony until it became a part of Canada in 1949.
Today, St. John’s serves as the capital and main commercial center of the Newfoundland and Labrador province. For much of its history, St. John’s economic activity was focused in commercial trading and fishing. Today, most of its financial interests revolve around offshore oil and gas drilling.
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