Which country was nearest to where the Titanic sank in 1912?

billythebrit

Newfoundland http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Titanic Aug 26 07, 10:46 AM

crotalus77

That would be the country of Canada. Newfoundland and Labrador is the province near where the Titanic sunk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newfoundland_and_Labrador Aug 26 07, 10:56 AM

59don

Not too sure about that answer 'Canada' vis a vis the country nearest the Titanic sinking in 1912..Newfoundland was definitely the closest piece of land back then..but Newfoundland was part of Great Britian prior to 1949, the year when Nfld became a Province of Canada..Kind of a tricky question and an even trickier answer? Technically, I would venture to say, Great Britan in this case. Aug 26 07, 3:59 PM

davejacobs

As explained in Crot's reference, the Dominion of Newfoundland was an independent country, part of the British Empire, but not part of either Canada or Great Britain. It became part of Canada in 1949. So the answer to the question is 'The Dominion of Newfoundland' Aug 26 07, 5:31 PM

lanfranco

I would have said "Canada" and left it at that. However, an interesting piece of trivia is the fact that the CS Mackay-Bennett, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, was the ship contracted by the White Star Line to do the unpleasant work of recovering bodies from the Titanic. Many of those bodies ended up in the Titanic section of the Fairview Cemetery in Halifax. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackay-Bennett Aug 26 07, 5:59 PM

59don

I agree with dave-j vis a vis Nfld, as a Dominion prior to confederation with Canada in 1949. Hence, the nearest 'country' to the sinking. Strictly curious here..would the Dominion of Newfoundland be considered a country on it's own back then?? Have also read where Nfld was considered a colony of GB prior to '49. Aug 26 07, 9:21 PM

Baloo55th

Responsible government in Newfoundland dates back to the 1850s - http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/NFLDHistory/TheDevelopmentofSelf-GovernmentinNewfoundland.htm Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island already had this, but they joined Canada in Victorian times. (Responsible government meant a locally elected parliament and lawmaking and the end of colonial status.) Aug 27 07, 12:58 PM

bigponder

As a Dominion, Newfoundland would have had the same status as Canada, Australia or New Zealand so, yes, we can say it was a country when the Titanic sank. Further to Frankie's comments, there are 150 Titanic victims buried in Halifax: 121 at the Fairview Lawn cemetery, 19 at Mount Olivet Catholic cemetery and 10 at the Baron de Hirsch Jewish cemetery. Aug 27 07, 3:37 PM