Simplify the following text for a Grade 11 native English-speaking person.
Original: The peninsula is home to 257,223 people , which is approximately 51 % of Newfoundland 's population in 2009 , and is the location of the provincial capital , St. John 's .
Simplified: The peninsula is home to forty percent of Newfoundland 's population , and is the location of the provincial capital , St. John 's .