Newfoundland and Labrador itself is a community, and in turn, consists of many smaller communities. Any simple description of Newfoundland communities of European descent would be deceptive. Each community is different from the others, and each has changed over time. The ethnic makeup of these communities varies, and their individual characters reflect their economic bases. Yet there are many commonalties.
Outports share certain characteristics, as do farming communities.
As a mercantile and administrative centre, the city of St. John's has long had distinctive features, yet is still recognizably a Newfoundland community. In the 19th and 20th centuries, industrial enterprises built upon mining, the railway and papermaking gave birth to communities in the interior of Newfoundland and in Labrador. These industrial towns, and the communities formed around military bases, are much closer to the urban pattern of towns in the rest of North America. However, they also share many aspects of Newfoundland culture. Southport is one of Newfoundland's many outport communities.