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.
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'
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.
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.
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.
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