Québec: A Land of Contrasts
Located
in northeastern North America, Québec extends over a vast area of
1,667,926 km2 (643,819 sq. mi), bordered by the United States, the
arctic waters, Ontario and New Brunswick. It is seven times bigger than the United Kingdom and more
than twice the size of Texas.
The
mighty St. Lawrence River, which ranks among the greatest rivers
of the world, flows for more than 1000 km (600 mi) through the
southern part of the province. Québec’s landscape is ever-changing with its fertile
flood plain stretching from the Laurentian Mountains in the north
to the Appalachian chain in the south, and vast expanses of
forest, taiga and tundra, dotted with more than a million lakes
and thousands of rivers. All
these different habitats are home to an amazing number of species
of flora and fauna.
Québec
is a land of contrasts, too, when it comes to climate.
Brisk winters with plenty of snow are followed by
gloriously refreshing springtimes, hot summers and the flamboyant
hues of autumn. Quebecers
have put their celebrated creative flair to the test and come up
with a multitude of ways to enjoy and share the best that each
season has to offer.
450 Years of History
For
thousands of years, the area that is now Québec was inhabited by
Indians and Inuit. Jacques
Cartier landed in the Gaspé peninsula in 1534, and claimed the
territory in the name of the King of France, calling it New
France. When Québec
City fell to the British in 1759, the
colony came under British rule.
Since then, the descendants of the original French- and
English- speaking settlers have been joined by immigrants from the
four corners of the earth, bringing with them new customs and
lifestyles that have truly enriched Québec’s cultural mosaic.
While French is the language of the majority, English is
spoken and understood almost everywhere, particularly in the towns
and cities. Today,
most of the approximately seven million people in Québec live
along the St. Lawrence River.
Close to 60,000 Indians, belonging to ten different
nations, and 8,000 Inuit live in some fifty villages dotted
throughout the province, from the 45th to the 62nd parallels.
Québec
enjoys a high standard of living.
It boasts abundant energy and natural resources, along with
world-renowned engineering, transportation, telecommunications,
aeronautics and aerospace, computer science, biotechnology firms,
research centres and medical institutions. The province exports 40% of its total production, mainly to
the United States.
Modern-day
Québec is a dynamic, outward-looking society, with its gaze fixed
firmly on the future.
For more info on Quebec, take a look at this site: Quebec
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