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Newfoundland — IPA: ['nuw fən 'lænd] (, ) is a large island off the east coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Newfoundland is often referred to as "The Middle of the North Atlantic", but it is actually more than 1000 km away from it. The island of Newfoundland (originally called Terra Nova) was most likely first named by the Italian John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) in 1497. The province where this island is located was also called "Newfoundland" until 2001, when its name was changed to "Newfoundland and Labrador" (the postal abbreviation was later changed from NF to NL). Some believe that Newfoundland is the island called Vinland by the Norse, but this is a matter of considerable debate, as the site of Vinland is not known with certainty. The island of Newfoundland is separated from the Labrador Peninsula by the Strait of Belle Isle and from Cape Breton Island by the Cabot Strait. It blocks the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River, creating the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the world's largest estuary. Newfoundland's nearest neighbour is the tiny French overseas community of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.