Facts About Quebec

Quebec is both the oldest and the largest of Canada's ten provinces. It is a rich province, with a distinctive culture that has evolved from the mingling of French and English heritages. The vast natural resources of "La Belle Province," some still unexploited, have provided the base that enables Quebec to yield one fourth of Canada's gross national product.

Most of the population and industry of the province of Quebec are still concentrated on the shores of the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries. The St. Lawrence Seaway is the passage into the heartlands of two of the world's largest nations. Vessels of more than 30 countries use the seaway to deliver and pick up cargo. The numerous rivers draining into the St. Lawrence system have a hydroelectric power potential unmatched in Canada.

The population of Quebec is 7,237,479 (2001). Ten percent of the population is of British origin or descent; another 10 percent is of other European descent. Starting in the 1980s the number of Southeast Asian, Haitian, and other immigrants increased dramatically. About 80 percent of the people are descendants of the French who founded the province. In a largely English-speaking nation, they have kept their French language, Roman Catholic faith, separate schools, and French civil law. In some rural areas--especially on the Ile d'Orleans in the St. Lawrence and on the Gaspe Peninsula--the people try to preserve elements of the 17th-century French way of life, a way of life that was almost done away with in France itself after the revolution.

Population (2001). 7,237,479--rank, 2nd province. Urban, 77.6%; rural, 22.4%. Persons per square mile, 11.6 (per square kilometer, 4.5)--rank, 5th province.
LARGEST CITIES (1991 census)
Montreal (city, 1,017,666; metropolitan area, 3,127,242). Largest city and chief seaport; industrial, financial, commercial, and cultural center.
Laval (314,398). Northwest of Montreal; city includes entire island of Ile-Jesus.
Quebec (city, 167,517; metropolitan area, 645,550). Provincial capital; French Canadian cultural center; seaport; tourist center; diversified industry.
Longueuil (129,874). Suburb of Montreal on east shore of St. Lawrence River.

Extent. Area, 594,860 square miles (1,540,680 square kilometers), including 71,000 square miles (183,889 square kilometers) of water surface (1st province in size). Greatest length (north to south), 1,225 miles (1,971 kilometers); greatest width (east to west), 982 miles (1,580 kilometers).
Elevation. Highest, Mount Jacques Cartier, 4,160 feet (1,268 meters); lowest, sea level; average, 800 feet (240 meters).
Temperature. Extremes--lowest, -66o F (-54o C), Doucet, Feb. 5, 1923; highest, 104o F (40o C), Ville-Marie, July 6, 1921.
Averages at Inoucdjouac (Port-Harrison)--January, -13.0o F (-25.0o C); July, 48.0o F (8.9o C); annual, 19.5o F (6.9o C).
Averages at Montreal--January, 16.3 F (-8.7 C); July, 70.8 F (21.6 C); annual, 44.5 F (6.9 C).
Precipitation. Average annual total--at Inoucdjouac, 9.1 inches (231 millimeters); at Montreal, 31.3 inches (795 millimeters).
Land Use. Agricultural, 3%; forest, 45%; urban, wildland, and other, 52%.