City (pop., 2001: 172,918), port, and capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Located on the southeastern Atlantic coast, St. John's was a small fishing base from the early 16th century; it was colonized by the British in 1583. Attacked several times by the French, it was securely British from 1762 and prospered as a fishing port, despite several disastrous fires in the 19th century. It is a commercial and industrial centre, a major ocean port, and the base for the province's fishing fleet. Industries include shipbuilding and fish processing. The annual regatta is one of the oldest sports events in North America. Signal Hill Historic Park memorializes several events, including Guglielmo Marconi 's reception of the first transatlantic wireless message from Europe (1901).