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Quebec [a] ( French: Québec [kebɛk] ⓘ) [12] is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is the largest province by area [b] and the second-largest by population. Much of the population lives in urban areas along the St. Lawrence River, [13] between its most populous city, Montreal, and the provincial capital, Quebec City.
- Quebec City
Quebec City (/ k w ɪ ˈ b ɛ k / ⓘ or / k ə ˈ b ɛ k /; French:...
- Province of Quebec
The Province of Quebec (French: Province de Québec) was a...
- National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec (officially in French:...
- Coat of Arms
The coat of arms of the province of Quebec (French:...
- History of Quebec
Quebec was first called Canada between 1534 and 1763. It was...
- Flag
The flag of Quebec, called the Fleurdelisé (French for...
- Quebec City
- Overview
- Relief, drainage, and soils
Quebec, eastern province of Canada. Constituting nearly one-sixth of Canada’s total land area, Quebec is the largest of Canada’s 10 provinces in area and is second only to Ontario in population. Its capital, Quebec city, is the oldest city in Canada. The name Quebec, first bestowed on the city in 1608 and derived from an Algonquian word meaning “where the river narrows,” beckons visitors to the city’s splendid view of the majestic St. Lawrence River and the pastoral Orleans Island. The province’s major metropolis, Montreal (Montréal), encompassing Montreal Island, Jesus Island to the north, and several communities on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, is the second largest city in Canada. Quebec is bounded to the north by Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay, to the east by the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, to the southeast by the Gulf of St. Lawrence, New Brunswick, and the U.S. state of Maine, to the south by the U.S. states of New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York, and to the west by Ontario, James Bay, and Hudson Bay.
The boundaries of Quebec were altered many times following the establishment of New France in the early 17th century, when the French colonial empire in North America spread all the way to the Gulf of Mexico and west of the Mississippi River. At that time James Bay, Hudson Bay, and the Ungava region belonged to the British Hudson’s Bay Company. In 1898 Quebec’s boundary was extended north to the Eastmain River and east to Labrador. The district of Ungava was added less than two decades later. Quebec’s present-day boundaries were determined in 1927, when the British Privy Council granted Labrador to Newfoundland (now the province of Newfoundland and Labrador). Today the province of Quebec’s French-speaking political leaders continue to dispute this decision but honour the 1927 boundary.
Quebec’s territory comprises extensions of three of Canada’s main physiographic regions: the St. Lawrence Lowlands, the Appalachian Uplands, and the Canadian Shield (also called the Laurentian Shield). Each region is a storehouse of unique natural and human resources, which accounts for their different settlement and development patterns over the past centuries.
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The most fertile and densely populated region of the province, stretching from Quebec city to Montreal along both sides of the St. Lawrence River, is the St. Lawrence Lowlands. The lowland plain was initially home to various aboriginal communities and then was settled quickly by Europeans during the early history of New France. The lowland plain remains the heart of Quebec’s small but vibrant agricultural sector, as well as the core of its expanding urban communities and changing industrial economy.
Stretching from the Gaspé Peninsula to the border of the United States, Quebec’s Appalachian Uplands region is the northern extension of the Appalachian Mountains. It is covered with forested hills, arable plateaus, and high plains, undulating and rising to the higher mountain ranges of the United States. This region also includes Anticosti Island, situated in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence northwest of the Gaspé Peninsula.
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- Michael D. Behiels
Mar 30, 2023 · Learn about the geography, history, and culture of Quebec, the largest Canadian province by area. See maps of its regions, cities, rivers, lakes, and landmarks. Find key facts and facts about its location, population, economy, and more.
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- Province of Quebec
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Learn about Quebec, the largest province in Canada, with diverse regions, languages and cultures. Explore its geography, people, economy, history and more from this comprehensive online source.
Quebec is Canada’s largest province in terms of landmass, but much of its territory is uninhabited — and uninhabitable. The province’s extreme north is a barren arctic wasteland similar to that of Canada’s three northern territories, inhabited by polar bears, caribou and arctic wolves, while the central region is filled with dense, boreal forest.
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4 days ago · Quebec, city, port, and capital of Quebec province, Canada. One of the oldest cities in Canada—having celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2008—Quebec city has a distinct old-world character and charm. It is the only remaining walled city in North America north of Mexico and was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985.
May 19, 2019 · Quebec is the largest Canadian province by area and the second largest by population. It is mainly French-speaking and has a rich culture and history. Learn more about its location, capital, industries, and politics.
