The Great Northern Peninsula has a lot of barrens with low tundra-like plants. Forests grow on the slopes of hills and the coastal plain. Bogs are found where drainage is poor.
Summers on the Great Northern Peninsula are warm. Winters are cold. Sea ice surrounds the coast from January to late spring.
Towns on the Great Northern Peninsula are linked by roads on the western and northern shores. People have settled along these shores. Shallow waters off the west coast have been ideal for cod and lobster fishing. Lumber and small mining operations have carried on in this region. There has been some farming. Some people grow vegetables for their own use.
St. Anthony is on the northern tip of the Great Northern Peninsula. It is the largest town on the peninsula. St. Anthony has a population of about 3200. It is a medical and supply service centre.