Newfoundland and Labrador (/njuːfənˈlænd  ...  læbrəˈdɔːr/; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of 405,212 square kilometres (156,500 sq mi). In 2021, the population of Newfoundland and Labrador was estimated to be 521,758. The island of Newfoundland (and its smaller neighbouring islands) is home to around 94 per cent of the province's population, with more than half residing in the Avalon Peninsula. Labrador borders the province of Quebec, and the French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon lies about 20 km east of the Burin Peninsula. According to the 2016 census, 97.0 per cent of residents reported English as their native language, making Newfoundland and Labrador Canada's most linguistically homogeneous province. A majority of the population is descended from English and Irish settlers, giving Newfoundland its reputation as "the most Irish place outside Ireland." St. John's, the capital and largest city of Newfoundland and Labrador, is Canada's 22nd-largest census metropolitan area and it is home to about 40% of the province's population. St. John's is the seat of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador as well as the jurisdiction's highest court, the Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal. Once a self-governing dominion, in 1933 the House of Assembly voted to dissolve itself and hand over administration of the Dominion to the British-appointed Commission of Government in 1933 following the substantial economic suffering caused by the Great Depression and Newfoundland's participation in World War I. On March 31, 1949, it became the 10th and newest province to join the Canadian Confederation as "Newfoundland" On December 6, 2001, the Constitution of Canada was amended to change the province's name to "Newfoundland and Labrador".