Placentia, << pluh SEHN shuh >> Newfoundland and Labrador (pop. 3,289), is the site of an early French settlement in North America. It lies in the southeast corner of the island of Newfoundland, about 63 miles (101 kilometers) southwest of the provincial capital, St. John’s. Placentia was the headquarters of the French from 1662 until Newfoundland was given to the British by the Peace of Utrecht in 1713. The town has ruins of the old French forts, and French and Basque tombstones dating back to the 1600’s. Placentia is a popular tourist resort with excellent salmon fishing in nearby streams.
