From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Avalon Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the south-east portion of the island of Newfoundland.
The peninsula covers about 10,000 square kilometers and is home to 40% of Newfoundland's population, including the capital of St. Johns. It is connect to the main section of the island by the 5km thick Isthmus of Avalon. The peninsula sticks out into the rich fishing zones near the Grand Banks. The peninsula has for major bays Trinity Bay, Placentia Bay, St. Mary's Bay, and Conception Bay that have long been the centre of Newfoundland's fishing industry.
The peninsula was one of the first European inhabited areas in North America with the first permanent settlement established in 1610. Sir George Calvert was given a large land holding on the peninsula and it is his estate, named after Avalon the legendary site of the introduction of Christianity to the British Isles, that gives the peninsula its name.
