Newfoundland
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Newfoundland. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
an island and British colony of North America; in the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and separated from Labrador on the N. by the straits of Belle Isle. The island is 370 miles in length, 290 in breadth, and about 1,000 in circumference; cumference; area, 42,200 square miles; pop. (1901) 217,037; (1917) 252,- 464. Capital, St. Johns. About a third of the area of the island is occupied by lakes and ponds. The coast provides a large number of excellent and sheltered harbors. The plains abound with herds of the caribou deer; these. with bears, wolves, foxes, and 'beaver, form the principal fauna of the island, which is a favorite resort for sportsmen. In winter the cold is severe. Much of the soil, especially in the S., is unproductive; grain and root crops are the most the most important agricultural products; large areas are adapted to stock raising. The chief resources of the inhabitants have been in the past the cod, seal, and salmon fisheries, these industries being the most extensive of the kind in the world. The chief industries of the people are agriculture, fishing, mining and lumbering. The annual catch of fish is valued at about $1,500,000, and the sealing industry is also important. In 1918 151,- 431 seals, valued at $864,000, were taken. About 1,500 men are engaged in the fishing industry. Valuable iron deposits have been found in various parts of the island. The forests produce large quantities of pulp for paper and extensive pulp and paper mills have been established in Grand Falls, Bishop Falls, and Deer Lake. The imports of Newfoundland in the years 1918-1919 were valued at £5,528,- 000, and the exports at £6,198,000. The annual expenditure is about $5,700,000, and the annual revenue about $6,500,- 000. There are about 900 miles of railway and about 4,600 miles of telegraph. A part of the peninsula of Labrador, lying between the Hudson Strait and Blanc Sablin, is included in the administration of Newfoundland. Newfoundland was discovered by John Cabot in 1497. In 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert took possession in the name of England and in 1621 Calvert made a settlement in the peninsula of Avalon. Representation was granted in 1832. In 1854 the present form of government was established. Newfoundland forms, with the department of Labrador, a crown colony. It is administered by a governor, assisted by an executive council, and a House of Assembly of 36 members. Soon after the discovery of Newfoundland, French fishermen frequented the "banks" in larger numbers than the English, and Great Britain did not take formal possession till 1583. The first permanent settlement was made in 1623. Before the treaty of Utrecht (1713), which ceded the island to Great Britain, the French and English had Britain, frequent conflicts over the right of possession. Fishing rights were conceded to the French, and this led to long and bitter disputes which have interfered with the development of the island. The French claim the exclusive right to fish from Cape John on the E. coast, around the N. coast, to Cape Ray on the W. Great Britain has never admitted this claim. The position maintained by the French has prevented the development of the mineral resources on the N. coast. In March, 1890, a modus vivendi was concluded between the French and British governments, remaining in force till Dec. 31, 1900. It caused great dissatisfaction among the people of the island. A Royal val Commission, appointed in August, 1898, decided that part of the French claims should be removed by purchase or concession; that the lobster fisheries should be arranged on the same basis; that the French should be furnished free bait, on abandonment of their bounties (to expire in 1901); that they should be prohibited from interfering with the "Treaty Shore," and that smuggling should be suppressed. On the outbreak of the war in South Africa, the colony on its own initiative renewed the modus vivendi, in order to relieve the home government and to prove its loyalty. The executive power of the colony is administered by a governor, executive council, legislative council and elected House of Assembly. Newfoundland sent a comparatively large number of men to Europe during the World War, and the service rendered by the colony was proportionately equal in extent to that of any other part of the British Empire.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
nu'fund-land, a large island lying at the mouth of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Newfoundland is England's oldest colony. It was discovered by the Cabots in 1497 and was occupied by fishermen almost immediately. It is not a part of the Dominion of Canada . It is managed by a governor and an executive council appointed by the British crown and a legislature elected by the people. The area is about 42,000 square miles. The interior is, for the most part, mountainous. The coast line is rugged, with many bays and good harbors. Extensive shoals to the eastward are called the Banks of Newfoundland. They are enveloped in fogs caused by the meeting of the cold Labrador current with the warm Gulf Stream . Fishing is the chief industry of the island. At every port large sheds are to be seen in which fish brought in by the fishermen are cured and packed for the market. The grouse, plover, snipe, hare, caribou, black bear, wolf, salmon, trout, and waterfowl are abundant and may be hunted in season. Dried cod to the value of $5,000,000 is exported annually. Codliver oil , canned lobster, and pickled herring are exported. The capital, St. Johns, is also the headquarters of the arctic sealing fleet. The interior is rich in copper and iron ores, as yet little mined. The trade is chiefly with Great Britain , Canada, and the United States . In 1866 the first Atlantic cable was landed at Newfoundland. Population in 1901, 217, 037.