Difference between revisions of "Quebec" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Infobox Province or territory of Canada
 
{{Infobox Province or territory of Canada
| Name                = Québec<!--official form in French—>
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| Name                = Quebec <!--usual form in English; See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Naming_conventions_(use_English) —>
| AlternateName      = Quebec<!--official form in English; see note:—><small><ref name="EFname">According to the [[Government of Canada|Canadian government]], '''Québec''' (with the [[acute accent]]) is the official form in [[Canadian French|French]] and '''Quebec''' (without the accent) is the province's official name in [[Canadian English|English]]; the name is [http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/info/pan_can_e.php one of 81 locales of pan-Canadian significance with official forms in both languages]. In this system, the official name of the capital is Québec in both official languages. The Quebec government renders both names as ''Québec'' in both languages.</ref><small>
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| AlternateName      = <small>''Québec'' ([[Canadian French|French]])</small>
| Flag                = Flag of Quebec.svg
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| Flag                = Flag of Quebec.svg{{!}}border
 
| EntityAdjective    = Provincial
 
| EntityAdjective    = Provincial
| CoatOfArms          = Armes du Québec.svg
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| CoatOfArms          = Coat of arms of Québec.svg.png
 
| Map                = Quebec-map.png
 
| Map                = Quebec-map.png
 
| Label_map          = no
 
| Label_map          = no
| Motto              = ''Je me souviens'' (French: I remember)
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| Motto              = ''[[Je me souviens]]''<br/><small>(''I remember'')</small>
| OfficialLang        = French
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| OfficialLang        = [[Quebec French|French]]<ref name=language>[https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/C-11 Charter of the French language] ''Gouvernement du Québec''. Retrieved September 12, 2022.</ref>
| Flower              = Blue Flag Iris
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| Flower              = [[Iris versicolor|Blue Flag Iris]]<ref name="Qsymbols">[https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadians/celebrate-being-canadian/teachers-corner/pin-symbol-province-territory/fact-sheet-quebec.html Quebec (QC) - Facts, Flags and Symbols] Government of Canada. Retrieved September 12, 2022.</ref>
| Tree                = Yellow Birch
+
| Tree                = [[Betula alleghaniensis|Yellow Birch]]<ref name="Qsymbols"/>
| Bird                = Snowy Owl
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| Bird                = [[Snowy Owl]]<ref name="Qsymbols"/>
| Capital            = Quebec City
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| Capital            = [[Quebec City]]
| LargestCity        = Montreal
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| CapCoord            = {{Coord|46|48|58|N|071|13|27|W |type:city_region:CA-QC |display=inline |name=Quebec City}}
| Language            = French
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| LargestCity        = [[Montreal]]
| Gentilic            = Quebecer, Quebecker, ''French:'' Québécois
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| LargestMetro        = [[Greater Montreal]]
| Premier            = Jean Charest
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| Demonym            = Quebecer,<br />Quebecker,<br />[[Quebecois|''Québécois''(''e'')]]<ref>The term ''[[French-speaking Quebecer|Québécois]]'' (feminine: ''Québécoise''), which is usually reserved for [[French-speaking Quebecer|francophone Quebeckers]], may be rendered in English without both [[é|e-acute (''é'')]]: ''Quebecois'' (fem.: ''Quebecoise''). (''Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage''; ISBN 0-19-541619-8; p. 335).</ref>
| PremierParty        = PLQ
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|Premier            = [[François Legault]]
| Viceroy            = Pierre Duchesne
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|PremierParty        = [[Coalition Avenir Quebec|CAQ]]
| ViceroyType        = Lieutenant-Governor
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|Viceroy            = [[J. Michel Doyon]]
| PostalAbbreviation  = QC or PQ<ref>{{PDFlink|1=[http://www.canadapost.ca/offerings/address_management/pdf/ncoa_handbook-e.pdf#search=%22qc%20pq%20site%3Acanadapost.ca%22 Postal Codes]|2=329&nbsp;KiB<!-- application/pdf, 337485 bytes —>}} from Canada Post</ref>
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|ViceroyType        = Lieutenant Governor
| PostalCodePrefix    = G, H, J
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| Legislature        = Quebec National Assembly
| AreaRank            = 2<sup>nd</sup>
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| PostalAbbreviation  = QC<ref>[https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/support/articles/addressing-guidelines/overview.page#1380608 Addressing Guidelines] ''Canada Post''. Retrieved September 12, 2022.</ref>
| TotalArea_km2           = 1542056
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| PostalCodePrefix    = [[List of G Postal Codes of Canada|G]], [[List of H Postal Codes of Canada|H]], [[List of J Postal Codes of Canada|J]]
| LandArea_km2           = 1183128
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| AreaRank            = 2nd
| WaterArea_km2           = 176928
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| TotalArea_km2       = 1542056
 +
| LandArea_km2       = 1365128
 +
| WaterArea_km2       = 176928
 
| PercentWater        = 11.5
 
| PercentWater        = 11.5
| PopulationRank     = 2<sup>nd</sup>
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|PopulationRank =2nd
| Population          = 7,546,131
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|PopulationYear=2021
| PopulationYear      = 2006
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|population_ref=
| DensityRank        = 5<sup>th</sup>
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|Population =8,501,833<ref name=StatCan2021>[https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000101 Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories] ''Statistics Canada'', February 9, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022. </ref>
| Density_km2        = 4.90
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|Density_km2        = 6.5
| GDP_year            = 2005
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|GDP_year            = 2015
| GDP_total          = $274.863&nbsp;billion
+
|GDP_total          = C$380.972&nbsp;billion<ref name=GDP2013>[https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3610022201 Gross domestic product, expenditure-based, by province and territory] ''Statistics Canada''. Retrieved September 12, 2022.</ref>
| GDP_rank            = 2<sup>nd</sup>
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|GDP_rank            = 2nd
| GDP_per_capita      = $36,175
+
|GDP_per_capita      = C$46,126
| GDP_per_capita_rank = 9<sup>th</sup>
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|GDP_per_capita_rank = 10th
| AdmittanceOrder    = 1<sup>st</sup>
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| AdmittanceOrder    = 1st, with [[Ontario|Ont.]], [[Nova Scotia|N.S.]], [[New Brunswick|N.B.]]
 
| AdmittanceDate      = July 1, 1867
 
| AdmittanceDate      = July 1, 1867
 
| Nationalday        = June 24
 
| Nationalday        = June 24
| TimeZone            = UTC-5, -4
+
| TimeZone            = [[UTC]]−5, −4
 
| HouseSeats          = 75
 
| HouseSeats          = 75
 
| SenateSeats        = 24
 
| SenateSeats        = 24
 
| ISOCode            = CA-QC
 
| ISOCode            = CA-QC
 
| Website            = www.gouv.qc.ca
 
| Website            = www.gouv.qc.ca
| Patron Saint        = St. John The Baptist
 
 
}}
 
}}
'''Quebec''' is a province in Central Canada. Known as ''la belle province'' ("the beautiful province"), Quebec is bordered to the west by the province of [[Ontario]], James Bay, and [[Hudson Bay]]. To the north are the Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay, to the east the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the provinces of [[New Brunswick]] and [[Newfoundland and Labrador]], and to the south the [[United States]] (the states of [[New York]], [[Vermont]], [[New Hampshire]], and [[Maine]]). It also shares maritime borders with the Territory of [[Nunavut]] and the provinces of [[Prince Edward Island]] and [[Nova Scotia]].  
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'''Quebec''' is a province in eastern Canada. Known as ''la belle province'' ("the beautiful province"), Quebec is bordered to the west by the province of [[Ontario]], [[James Bay]], and [[Hudson Bay]]. To the north are the Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay, to the east the [[Gulf of Saint Lawrence]], the provinces of [[New Brunswick]] and [[Newfoundland and Labrador]], and to the south the [[United States]] (the states of [[New York]], [[Vermont]], [[New Hampshire]], and [[Maine]]). It also shares maritime borders with the Territory of [[Nunavut]] and the provinces of [[Prince Edward Island]] and [[Nova Scotia]].  
  
 
Quebec is Canada's largest province by area and its second-largest administrative division; only the territory of Nunavut is larger. It is the second most populated province, and most of its inhabitants live along or close to the banks of the [[Saint Lawrence River]]. The central and northern portion of the province is sparsely populated and inhabited by the [[indigenous peoples of the Americas|aboriginal peoples of Canada]].
 
Quebec is Canada's largest province by area and its second-largest administrative division; only the territory of Nunavut is larger. It is the second most populated province, and most of its inhabitants live along or close to the banks of the [[Saint Lawrence River]]. The central and northern portion of the province is sparsely populated and inhabited by the [[indigenous peoples of the Americas|aboriginal peoples of Canada]].
 
The official language of Quebec is [[French language|French]]; it is the sole Canadian province whose population is mainly French Canadian, and where [[English language|English]] is not an official language at the provincial level.
 
  
 
Quebec, then called Canada, formed part of the colonial empire of [[New France]] until the [[Seven Years' War]], when it was conquered by [[Great Britain]]; the 1763 [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|Treaty of Paris]] formally transferred the colony to British possession. Quebec became a province of the Canadian Confederation upon its founding in 1867.
 
Quebec, then called Canada, formed part of the colonial empire of [[New France]] until the [[Seven Years' War]], when it was conquered by [[Great Britain]]; the 1763 [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|Treaty of Paris]] formally transferred the colony to British possession. Quebec became a province of the Canadian Confederation upon its founding in 1867.
  
 
While the province's substantial natural resources have long been the mainstay of its economy, Quebec has renewed itself to function effectively in the knowledge economy: [[information technology|information]] and [[communication]] [[technology|technologies]], [[aerospace]], [[biotechnology]], and health industries.  
 
While the province's substantial natural resources have long been the mainstay of its economy, Quebec has renewed itself to function effectively in the knowledge economy: [[information technology|information]] and [[communication]] [[technology|technologies]], [[aerospace]], [[biotechnology]], and health industries.  
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The official [[language]] of Quebec is [[French language|French]]; it is the sole Canadian province whose population is mainly French Canadian, and where [[English language|English]] is not an official language at the provincial level.
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{{toc}}
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[[Nationalism]] plays a large role in the [[politics]] of Quebec, and all three major provincial political parties have sought greater [[autonomy]] for Quebec and recognition of its unique status. [[Quebec sovereignty movement|Sovereigntist]] governments have held referendums on independence in 1980 and 1995. In 2006, the [[Canadian House of Commons]] passed a symbolic motion recognizing the ''"Québécois as a nation within a united Canada."''
  
 
== Geography ==
 
== Geography ==
{{main|Geography of Quebec}}
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===Territory===
[[Image:Canada provinces evolution.gif|thumb|left|Evolution of the borders of the Province of Quebec since 1867]]
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In 1870, Canada purchased [[Rupert's Land]] from the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] and over the next few decades the [[Parliament]] transferred portions of this territory to Quebec that would more than triple the size of the province. In 1898, the first Quebec Boundary Extension Act expanded the provincial boundaries northward to include the lands of the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous ]] [[Cree]]. This was followed by the addition of the northernmost lands of the [[Inuit]] to create the modern Province of Quebec.
In 1870, Canada purchased [[Rupert's Land]] from the Hudson's Bay Company and over the next few decades the [[Parliament]] transferred portions of this territory to Quebec that would more than triple the size of the province. In 1898, the first Quebec Boundary Extension Act expanded the provincial boundaries northward to include the lands of the [[Aboriginal peoples of the Americas|aboriginal]] [[Cree]]. This was followed by the addition of the northernmost lands of the aboriginal [[Inuit]] to create the modern Province of St. Matthew.
 
  
 
As a result of the boundary expansions, the province currently occupies a vast territory (nearly three times the size of [[France]]), most of which is very sparsely populated. More than 90 percent of Quebec's area lies within the [[Canadian Shield]] and includes the greater part of the [[Labrador Peninsula]].
 
As a result of the boundary expansions, the province currently occupies a vast territory (nearly three times the size of [[France]]), most of which is very sparsely populated. More than 90 percent of Quebec's area lies within the [[Canadian Shield]] and includes the greater part of the [[Labrador Peninsula]].
 
   
 
   
The most populated region is the [[St. Lawrence River]] valley in the south, where the capital, [[Quebec City]], and the largest city, [[Montreal]], are situated. North of Montreal are the Laurentians, a [[mountain]] range, and to the east are the [[Appalachian Mountains]], which extend into the Eastern Townships and Gaspésie regions. Quebec's highest mountain is Mont D'Iberville, which is located on the border with [[Newfoundland and Labrador]] in the northeastern part of the province. The [[Gaspé Peninsula]] juts into the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the east.
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The most populated region is the [[Saint Lawrence River]] valley in the south, where the capital, [[Quebec City]], and the largest city, [[Montreal]], are situated. North of Montreal are the Laurentians, a [[mountain]] range, and to the east are the [[Appalachian Mountains]], which extend into the Eastern Townships and Gaspésie regions. Quebec's highest mountain is Mont D'Iberville, which is located on the border with [[Newfoundland and Labrador]] in the northeastern part of the province. The [[Gaspé Peninsula]] juts into the [[Gulf of St. Lawrence]] to the east.
  
The northern region of [[Nunavik]] is [[subarctic]] or [[arctic]] and is mostly inhabited by [[Inuit]]. A major [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] project is found on the La Grande and Eastmain rivers in the James Bay region (the La Grande Complex) and on the Manicouagan River, north of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
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The northern third of the province is a region known as Nunavik (not to be confused with the province of [[Nunavut]]), which is [[subarctic]] or [[arctic]] and is primarily inhabited by [[Inuit]]. A major [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] project is found on the La Grande and Eastmain rivers in the James Bay region and on the Manicouagan River, north of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
  
 
===Climate===
 
===Climate===
Quebec has three main [[Geographical zone|climate regions]]. Southern and western Quebec, including most of the major population centers, have a humid continental climate with warm, humid summers and long, cold winters. The main climatic influences are from western and northern Canada which move eastward and from the southern and central [[United States]] that move northward. Due to the influence of both storm systems from the core of [[North America]] and the [[Atlantic Ocean]], precipitation is abundant throughout the year, with most areas receiving more than 40 inches(1,000 mm) of precipitation, including over 120 inches (300 cm) of [[snow]] in many areas. Severe summer weather (such as [[tornado]]es and severe [[thunderstorm]]s) are far less common than in southern [[Ontario]], although they occasionally occur.
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Quebec has three main [[Geographical zone|climate regions]]. Southern and western Quebec, including most of the major population centers, have a humid continental climate with warm, humid summers and long, cold winters. The main climatic influences are from western and northern Canada which moved eastward and from the southern and central [[United States]] that move northward. Due to the influence of both storm systems from the core of [[North America]] and the [[Atlantic Ocean]], precipitation is abundant throughout the year, with most areas receiving more than 40 inches (1,000 mm) of precipitation, including over 120 inches (300 cm) of [[snow]] in many areas. Severe summer weather (such as [[tornado]]es and severe [[thunderstorm]]s) are far less common than in southern [[Ontario]], although they occasionally occur.
  
 
Most of central Quebec has a subarctic climate. Winters here are long and among the coldest in eastern Canada, while summers are warm but very short due to the higher [[latitude]] and the greater influence of [[Arctic]] air masses. Precipitation is also somewhat less than farther south, except at some of the higher elevations.
 
Most of central Quebec has a subarctic climate. Winters here are long and among the coldest in eastern Canada, while summers are warm but very short due to the higher [[latitude]] and the greater influence of [[Arctic]] air masses. Precipitation is also somewhat less than farther south, except at some of the higher elevations.
Line 77: Line 80:
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
{{main|History of Quebec}}
 
 
===First Nations: before 1500===
 
===First Nations: before 1500===
At the time of first European contact and later colonization, [[Algonquian language|Algonquian]], [[Iroquoian language|Iroquoian]] and [[Inuit]] groups were the peoples of what is now Québec. Their lifestyles and cultures reflected the land on which they lived. Seven Algonquian groups lived nomadic lives based on hunting, gathering, and fishing in the rugged terrain of the Canadian Shield: (James Bay [[Cree]], [[Innu]], [[Algonquin]]s) and Appalachian Mountains ([[Mi'kmaq]], [[Western Abenaki|Abenaki]]). [[St. Lawrence Iroquoians]] lived more settled lives, planting squash and maize in the fertile soils of St. Lawrence Valley. The Inuit continue to fish, whale, and seal in the harsh Arctic climate along the coasts of Hudson and Ungava Bay. These peoples traded fur and food, and sometimes warred with each other.  
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At the time of first European contact and later colonization, [[Algonquin]], [[Iroquois]], and [[Inuit]] groups were the peoples of what is now Québec. Their lifestyles and cultures reflected the land on which they lived. The Algonquin groups lived [[nomad]]ic lives based on [[Hunter-gatherer|hunting, gathering]], and [[fishing]] in the rugged terrain of the [[Canadian Shield]] and [[Appalachian Mountains]]. St. Lawrence Iroquoians lived more settled lives, planting [[squash]] and [[maize]] in the fertile soils of the St. Lawrence Valley. The Inuit continue to fish and hunt [[whale]] and [[seal]] in the harsh [[Arctic]] climate along the coasts of [[Hudson Bay|Hudson]] and [[Ungava Bay]]s. These peoples traded fur and [[food]] and sometimes warred with each other.  
  
The name "Quebec," which comes from a [[Mi'kmaq language|Míkmaq]] word meaning "strait, narrows," originally meant the narrowing of the St. Lawrence River off what is currently Quebec City.<ref>Afable, Patricia O. and Madison S. Beeler (1996). "Place Names." In "Languages," ed. Ives Goddard. Vol. 17 of ''Handbook of North American Indians'', ed. William C. Sturtevant. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, pg. 191</ref> There have been variations in spelling of the name:
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The name "Quebec," which comes from a [[Mi'kmaq|Míkmaq]] word meaning "strait, narrows," originally referred to the narrowing of the [[Saint Lawrence River]] off what is currently Quebec City. There have been variations in spelling of the name: Québecq, Kébec, and Québec.
* Québecq &mdash; Levasseur, 1601
 
* Kébec &mdash; Lescarbot, 1609
 
* Québec &mdash; Champlain, 1613
 
  
 
===Early European exploration: 1500===
 
===Early European exploration: 1500===
[[Basque people|Basque]] whalers and fishermen traded furs with Saguenay natives throughout the 1500s. [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0000550]
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[[Basque]] whalers and fishermen traded furs throughout the 1500s. The first French explorer to reach Quebec was [[Jacques Cartier]], who planted a cross either in Gaspé in 1534 or at Old Fort Bay on the Lower North Shore. He sailed into the [[Saint Lawrence River]] in 1535 and established an ill-fated colony near present-day Quebec City at the site of Stadacona, an Iroquoian village.
  
The first French explorer to reach Quebec was [[Jacques Cartier]], who planted a cross either in [[Gaspé]] in 1534 or at [[Old Fort Bay]] on the [[Lower North Shore]]. He sailed into the [[St. Lawrence River]] in 1535 and established an ill-fated colony near present-day Quebec City at the site of [[Stadacona]], an Iroquoian village.
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[[Samuel de Champlain]] was part of a 1603 expedition from [[France]] that traveled into the St. Lawrence River. In 1608, he returned as head of an exploration party and founded Quebec City with the intention of making the area part of the [[French empire]]. Champlain's outpost was his base to forge a trading, and ultimately a [[military]], alliance with the [[Algonquin]] and [[Huron]] nations. Natives traded their furs for French goods such as metal objects, [[Firearms|guns]], [[alcohol]], and [[clothing]].
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[[Image:Voyageur_canoe.jpg|400px|thumb|"Canoe Manned by Voyageurs Passing a Waterfall" by Frances Anne Hopkins]]
  
===New France===
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From Quebec, ''voyageurs'' (licensed fur traders) and [[Roman Catholic]] [[missionary|missionaries]] used [[canoe]]s to explore the interior of the [[North America]]n continent, establishing fur trading forts on the [[Great Lakes]], [[Hudson Bay]], [[Ohio River]], and [[Mississippi River]], as well as the Prairie and [[Missouri River]]s.
{{main|New France}}
 
  
[[Samuel de Champlain]] was part of a 1603 expedition from France that traveled into the [[St. Lawrence River]]. In 1608, he returned as head of an exploration party and founded [[Quebec City]] with the intention of making the area part of the [[French colonial empire]]. Champlain's ''Habitation de Quebec'', built as a permanent fur trading outpost, was where he would forge a trading, and ultimately a [[military]] alliance, with the [[Algonquin]] and [[Huron]] nations. Natives traded their furs for many French goods such as metal objects, guns, alcohol, and clothing.
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After 1627, King [[Louis XIII]] of France introduced the seigneurial system—a semi-[[feudalism|feudal]] system of land distribution used in the [[French colonial empire|colonies]] of [[New France]]<ref> [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/seigneurial-system Seigneurial System] ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. Retrieved September 12, 2022.</ref>—and forbade settlement by anyone other than Roman Catholics. Under the seigneurial system, the lands were arranged in long, narrow strips, called seigneuries, along the banks of the [[Saint Lawrence River]]. Each piece of land belonged to the king of France and was maintained by the landlord, or seigneur. [[Sulpician]] and [[Jesuit]] clerics founded missions in Trois-Rivières and Montréal or Ville-Marie to convert New France's Huron and Algonquin allies to [[Catholicism]].  
  
[[Helen Desportes]], born July 7, 1620, to French habitants Pierre Desportes and his wife Françoise Langlois, was the first child of European descent born in Quebec.
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New France became a royal province in 1663 under King [[Louis XIV of France]] with a Sovereign Council that included ''intendant'' Jean Talon. This ushered in a golden era of settlement and colonization in New France. The population grew from about 3,000 to 60,000 between 1666 and 1760. The colony's total population was limited, however, by a winter [[climate]] significantly harsher than that found in France; by the spread of [[disease]]s; and by the refusal of the French crown to allow [[Huguenot]]s, or French [[Protestant]]s, to settle. The population of New France lagged far behind that of the 13 British colonies to the south, leaving it vulnerable to attack.
 
 
From Quebec, [[Voyageurs]], [[Coureurs des bois]], and Catholic missionaries used river [[canoe]]s to explore the interior of the North American continent, establishing fur trading forts on the [[Great Lakes]] ([[Étienne Brûlé]] 1615), [[Hudson Bay]] ([[Pierre-Esprit Radisson|Radisson]] and [[Médard des Groseilliers|Groseilliers]] 1659-60), [[Ohio River]] and [[Mississippi River]] ([[Robert Cavelier de La Salle|La Salle]] 1682), as well as the [[Prairie River]] and [[Missouri River]] ([[Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de la Vérendrye|de la Verendrye]] 1734-1738).
 
 
 
After 1627, King [[Louis XIII of France]] introduced the [[Seigneurial system of New France|seigneurial system]] and forbade settlement in [[New France]] by anyone other than [[Roman Catholic]]s. [[Sulpician]] and [[Jesuit]] clerics founded missions in [[Trois-Rivières, Quebec|Trois-Rivières]] (Laviolette) and Montréal or Ville-Marie ([[Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve]] and [[Jeanne Mance]]) to convert New France's [[Huron]] and [[Algonkian]] allies to [[Catholicism]]. The seigneurial system of governing New France also encouraged immigration from the motherland.
 
 
 
New France became a Royal Province in 1663 under King [[Louis XIV of France]] with a [[Sovereign Council of New France|Sovereign Council]] that included [[intendant of New France|intendant]] [[Jean Talon]]. This ushered in a golden era of [[French colonization of the Americas|settlement and colonization]] in New France, including the arrival of les "[[Filles du Roi]]." The population would grow from about 3,000 to 60,000 people between 1666 and 1760. Colonists built farms on the banks of St. Lawrence River and called themselves "[[Canadiens]]" or "[[Habitants]]." The colony's total population was limited, however, by a winter climate significantly harsher than that found in France; by the spread of diseases; and by the refusal of the French crown to allow [[Huguenots]], or French Protestants, to settle. The population of New France lagged far behind that of the [[13 Colonies]] to the south, leaving it vulnerable to attack.
 
  
 
===Conquest of New France===
 
===Conquest of New France===
In 1753 France began building a series of forts in the British [[Ohio Country]]. They refused to leave after being notified by the British Governor and, in 1754, [[George Washington]] launched an attack on the French [[Fort Duquesne]] (now [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]]) in the [[Ohio Valley]] in an attempt to enforce the British claim to take territory. This frontier battle set the stage for the [[French and Indian War]] in North America. By 1756, France and Britain were battling the [[Seven Years' War]] worldwide. In 1758, the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] mounted an attack on [[New France]] by sea and took the French fort at [[Louisbourg]].  
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In 1753 France began building a series of forts in the British-held Ohio region. They refused to leave after being notified by the British governor and, in 1754, [[George Washington]] launched an attack on [[Fort Duquesne]] (now [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]]) in an attempt to enforce the British claim to the territory. This frontier battle set the stage for the [[French and Indian War]] in North America. By 1756, France and Britain were battling the [[Seven Years' War]] worldwide. In 1758, the [[British Empire|British]] mounted an attack on New France by sea and took the French fort at Louisbourg, [[Nova Scotia]].
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[[Image:Benjamin West 005.jpg|thumb|400px|''The Death of General Wolfe'' during the [[Battle of the Plains of Abraham]], by [[Benjamin West]]. The French commander, [[Louis-Joseph de Montcalm|Marquis de Montcalm]], died the following day from wounds received in this battle.]]
  
On 13 September 1759, General [[James Wolfe]] defeated General [[Louis-Joseph de Montcalm]] on the [[Plains of Abraham]] outside Quebec City. France ceded its [[North America]]n possessions to [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] through the [[Treaty of Paris (1763)]]. By the [[British Royal Proclamation of 1763]], Canada (part of New France) was renamed the [[Province of Quebec (1763-1791)|Province of Quebec]].
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In 1759, General [[James Wolfe]] defeated General [[Louis-Joseph de Montcalm]] in the [[Battle of the Plains of Abraham]] outside Quebec City. The battle involved fewer than 10,000 troops between both sides, but proved to be a deciding moment in the conflict between [[France]] and [[Britain]] over the fate of New France, influencing the later creation of [[Canada]].  
  
In 1774, fearful that the French-speaking population of Quebec (as the colony was now called) would side with the rebels of the [[Thirteen Colonies]] to the south, the British Parliament passed the [[Quebec Act]] giving recognition to French law, Catholic religion and French language in the colony; before that Catholics had been excluded from public office and recruitment of priests and brothers forbidden, effectively shutting down Quebec's schools and colleges. The first British policy of assimilation (1763-1774) was deemed a failure. Both the petitions and demands of the Canadiens' élites, and Governor [[Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester|Guy Carleton]], played an important part in convincing London of dropping the assimilation scheme, but the looming American revolt was certainly a factor. By the Quebec Act, the Quebec people obtained their first Charter of rights. That paved the way to later official recognition of the [[French language]] and [[French culture]]. The Act allowed ''[[Canadiens]]'' to maintain French [[Civil law (legal system)|civil law]] and sanctioned the freedom of religious choice, allowing the [[Roman Catholic Church]] to remain. It also restored the [[Ohio Valley]] to Quebec, reserving the territory for the fur trade.
+
France ceded its [[North America]]n possessions to Great Britain in 1763.
  
The act, designed to placate one North American colony, had the opposite effect among its neighbors to the south. The Quebec Act was among the [[Intolerable Acts]] that infuriated [[13 colonies|American colonists]], who launched the [[American Revolution]]. A [[Invasion of Canada (1775)|1775 invasion]] by the American [[Continental Army]] met with early success, but was later repelled at [[Battle of Quebec (1775)|Quebec City]]. However, the [[American Revolutionary War]] was ultimately successful in winning the independence of the Thirteen Colonies. With the [[Treaty of Paris (1783)]], Quebec would cede its territory south of the [[Great Lakes]] to the new United States of America.
+
In 1774, fearful that the [[French language|French]]-speaking population of Quebec (as the colony was now called) would side with the rebels of the thirteen colonies to the south, the British Parliament passed the [[Quebec Act]] giving recognition to French law, the Catholic religion, and [[French language]] in the colony; before that Catholics had been excluded from public office and recruitment of priests and brothers forbidden, effectively shutting down Quebec's schools and colleges. By the Quebec Act, the Quebec people obtained their first charter of rights. That paved the way to later official recognition of the French language and culture. The act also sanctioned freedom of religious choice.
  
===The ''Patriotes''' Rebellion in Lower and Upper Canada===
+
At the outbreak of the [[American Revolutionary War]], a 1775 invasion by the Continental Army met with early success but was later repelled at Quebec City. The [[American Revolution]] was ultimately successful in winning the independence of the 13 colonies. With the [[Treaty of Paris (1783)]], Quebec ceded its territory south of the [[Great Lakes]] to the new [[United States of America]].
{{main|Lower Canada Rebellion}}
 
Like their counterparts in [[Upper Canada]], in 1837, [[English language|English]] and [[French language|French speaking]] residents of Lower Canada, led by [[Louis-Joseph Papineau]] and [[Robert Nelson]], formed an armed resistance group to seek an end to British colonial rule. They made a Declaration of rights with equality for all citizens without discrimination, and a Declaration of Independence in 1838. Their actions resulted in rebellions in both Lower and Upper Canada. An unprepared [[British Army]] had to raise a local [[militia]] force and the rebel forces were soon defeated after having scored a victory in [[Saint-Denis, Quebec]], east of [[Montreal]]. The British army also burned alive the rebels who were hiding in the Church of St-Eustache. The bullet and cannonball marks on the walls of the church are still visible to this day.
 
  
=== Act of Union ===
+
===The Rebellion===
After the rebellions, [[John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham|Lord Durham]] was asked to undertake a study and prepare a [[Report on the Affairs of British North America (1839)|report]] on the matter and to offer a solution for the British Parliament to assess.
 
  
The final report recommended that the population of Lower Canada be assimilated. Following Durham's [[Report on the Affairs of British North America (1839)|Report]], the British government merged the two colonial provinces into one [[Province of Canada]] in 1841.
+
Like their counterparts in Upper Canada, in 1837, [[English language|English-]] and [[French language|French-speaking]] residents of Lower Canada formed an armed resistance group to seek an end to British colonial rule. They issued a declaration of rights with equality for all citizens without discrimination, and a declaration of independence in 1838. Their actions resulted in rebellions in both Lower and Upper Canada. An unprepared British army had to raise a local [[militia]], and the rebel forces were soon defeated.
  
However, the political union proved contentious. Reformers in both Canada West (formerly Upper Canada) and Canada East (formerly Lower Canada) worked to repeal limitations on the use of the French language in the Legislature. The two colonies remained distinct in administration, election, and law.
+
After the rebellions, Lord Durham was asked to undertake a study and prepare a report on the matter and to offer a solution for the British Parliament to assess. The final report recommended that the population of Lower Canada be assimilated, and the British government merged the two colonial provinces in 1841.
  
In 1848, Baldwin and LaFontaine, allies and leaders of the Reformist party, obtained the grant (from [[Lord Elgin]]) for responsible government and returned the French language to legal status in the Legislature.
+
The political union proved contentious, however. Reformers in both Canada West (formerly Upper Canada) and Canada East (formerly Lower Canada) worked to repeal limitations on the use of the French language in the legislature. The two colonies remained distinct in administration, elections, and law. In 1848, reformers returned the French language to legal status.
  
 
=== Canadian Confederation ===
 
=== Canadian Confederation ===
In the 1860s, the delegates from the colonies of [[British North America]] (Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland) met in a series of conferences to discuss self-governing status for a new confederation.
+
In the 1860s, delegates from the colonies of British North America (Canada, [[New Brunswick]], [[Nova Scotia]], [[Prince Edward Island]], and [[Newfoundland]]) met in a series of conferences to discuss self-governing status for a new confederation.
  
The first [[Charlottetown Conference]] took place in [[Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island]] followed by the [[Quebec Conference, 1864|Quebec Conference]] in Quebec City which led to a delegation going to [[London]], [[England]] to put forth the proposal for the national union.
+
The first took place in [[Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island]], followed by one in Quebec City that led to a delegation going to [[London]], [[England]], with a proposal for national union. As a result of those deliberations, in 1867 the [[Parliament]] of the [[United Kingdom]] passed the [[British North America Act]], providing for the confederation of most of these provinces.
  
As a result of those deliberations, in 1867 the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] passed the [[British North America Act]], providing for the Confederation of most of these provinces.
+
The former Province of Canada was divided into its two previous parts as the provinces of [[Ontario]] (Upper Canada) and Quebec (Lower Canada). New Brunswick and Nova Scotia joined Ontario and Quebec in the new Dominion of Canada. Prince Edward Island joined in 1873, and the Dominion of Newfoundland entered the confederation in 1949.
  
The former [[Province of Canada]] was divided into its two previous parts as the provinces of [[Ontario]] (Upper Canada) and Quebec (Lower Canada).
+
===The 'Quiet Revolution'===
* [[New Brunswick]] and [[Nova Scotia]] joined Ontario and Quebec in the new [[Canada|Dominion of Canada]].
+
[[Image:Montreal Twilight Panorama 2006.jpg|thumb|500px|A panorama of the city, taken from the Chalet du Mont Royal at the top of Mount Royal in [[Montreal]]]]
* [[Prince Edward Island]] joined in 1873 and the [[Dominion of Newfoundland]] entered Confederation in 1949.
+
The [[conservatism|conservative]] government of Maurice Duplessis and his Union Nationale dominated Quebec politics from 1944 to 1960 with the support of the [[Roman Catholic]] church. [[Pierre Trudeau]] and other liberals formed an intellectual opposition to Duplessis's regime, setting the groundwork for the [[Quiet Revolution]], a period of dramatic social and political change that saw the decline of Anglo supremacy in the Quebec economy, the decline of the Roman Catholic Church's influence, the [[nationalization]] of [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] companies, and the emergence of a movement aimed at attaining independent statehood (sovereignty) for Quebec. Two referendums (in 1980 and 1995) rejected sovereignty.  
  
===The "Quiet Revolution"===
+
Beginning in 1963, a [[terrorism|terrorist]] group that became known as the [[Front de libération du Québec]] (FLQ) launched a decade of bombings, robberies, and attacks directed primarily at English institutions, resulting in at least five deaths. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act. Of the 497 persons arrested throughout Canada, 62 were charged; 32 were crimes of such seriousness that a Quebec Superior Court judge refused them bail. The fallout of the crisis marked the twilight of the FLQ, which lost membership and public support.  
{{main|Quiet Revolution}}
 
The [[conservatism|conservative]] government of [[Maurice Duplessis]] and his [[Union Nationale (Canada)|Union Nationale]] dominated Quebec politics from 1944 to 1960 with the support of the [[Roman Catholic]] church. [[Pierre Trudeau]] and other liberals formed an intellectual opposition to Duplessis's regime, setting the groundwork for the [[Quiet Revolution]] under [[Jean Lesage]]'s [[Parti libéral du Québec|Liberals]]. The Quiet Revolution was a period of dramatic social and political change that saw the decline of Anglo supremacy in the Quebec economy, the decline of the Roman Catholic Church's influence, the [[nationalization]] of [[hydro-electric]] companies under [[Hydro-Québec]] and the emergence of a sovereignist movement under former Liberal minister [[René Lévesque]].  
 
  
The Quiet Revolution has been described by some people as the time when everyone stopped going to church; so that by the end of 1963 the Catholic churches were virtually empty. Whether this is a factual comment or simply an expression of the felt change that Quebec was going through at the time, it provides a telling commentary to the widespread change that the people in Quebec underwent during the Quiet Revolution. The period spawned [[Quebec sovereignty movement|a significant movement for statehood]] which resulted in two [[referendum]]s (in 1980 and 1995) which rejected sovereignty-association.  
+
In 1977, the newly elected [[Parti Québécois]] government of René Lévesque introduced the Charter of the French Language. Often known as Bill 101, it defined French as the only official language of Quebec.
  
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Qcuds.jpg|thumb|right|The slogan on the current Quebec [[license plate]], first introduced in 1978, is "[[Je me souviens]]"; French for "I remember." It has been Quebec's motto since Confederation. {{speedy-image-c|2007-04-03}}]]  —>Beginning in 1963, a [[terrorism|terrorist]] group that became known as the [[Front de libération du Québec]] (FLQ) launched a decade of bombings, robberies and attacks directed primarily at English institutions, resulting in at least five deaths. In 1970, their activities culminated in events referred to as the [[October Crisis]] [http://www.mcgill.ca/maritimelaw/history/crisis/] when [[James Cross]], the British trade commissioner to Canada, was kidnapped along with [[Pierre Laporte]], a provincial minister and Vice-Premier, who was murdered a few days later. In their published Manifesto, the terrorists stated: "In the coming year Bourassa (Quebec Premier) will have to face reality; 100,000 revolutionary workers, armed and organized."
+
===A constitutional crisis===
 +
Lévesque and his party had run in the 1970 and 1973 Quebec elections under a platform of separating Quebec from the rest of [[Canada]]. The party failed to win control of Quebec's National Assembly both times. In the 1976 election, he softened his message by promising a referendum (plebiscite) on sovereignty-association rather than outright separation, by which Quebec would have independence in most government functions but share some other ones, such as a common currency, with Canada. On November 15, 1976, Lévesque and the Parti Québécois won control of the provincial government for the first time. The question of sovereignty-association was placed before the voters in the 1980 Quebec referendum. The existing constitutional document, the [[British North America Act]], could only be amended by the [[Parliament]] of the [[United Kingdom]] upon a request by the Canadian parliament.
  
At the request of Premier [[Robert Bourassa]], Prime Minister [[Pierre Trudeau]] invoked the [[War Measures Act]]. Once the emergency Act was in place, arrangements were made for all detainees to see legal counsel{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. In addition, the Quebec [[Ombudsman]] [http://www.protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca/en/index.asp], Louis Marceau, was instructed to hear complaints of detainees and the Quebec government agreed to pay damages to any person unjustly arrested (only in Quebec). On February 3, 1971, [[John Turner]], the [[Minister of Justice (Canada)|Minister of Justice of Canada]], reported that 497 persons had been arrested{{Fact|date=February 2007}} throughout Canada under the War Measures Act, of whom 435 had been released. The other 62 were charged, of which 32 were crimes of such seriousness that a [[Quebec Superior Court]] judge refused them bail. The crisis ended after a few weeks after the death of Pierre Laporte at the hands of his captors. The fallout of the crisis marked the zenith and twilight of the FLQ which lost membership and public support.  
+
Sixty percent of the Quebec electorate voted against the proposition. After his loss, Lévesque began negotiating a new constitution and insisted that Quebec be able to veto any future constitutional amendments. The negotiations quickly reached a standstill.  
  
In 1977, the newly elected [[Parti Québécois]] government of [[René Lévesque]] introduced the [[Charter of the French Language]]. Often known as [[Bill 101]], it defined French as the only official language of Quebec in areas of provincial jurisdiction.
+
On the night of November 4, 1981 (widely known in Quebec as ''La nuit des longs couteaux'' or the "Night of the Long Knives"'), Federal Justice Minister Jean Chretien met all the provincial premiers except Lévesque to sign the document that would eventually become the new Canadian constitution. The next morning, they confronted Lévesque with the ''fait accompli.'' Lévesque refused to sign the document. In 1982, the new constitution was approved by the British Parliament, with Quebec's signature missing (a situation that persists to this day).  
  
===The Parti Québécois and constitutional crisis===
+
In subsequent years, two unsuccessful attempts were made to gain Quebec's approval of the constitution. On October 30, 1995, with the Parti Québécois back in power, a second referendum on sovereignty took place. This time, it was rejected by a slim majority (50.6 percent to 49.4 percent); a clear majority of French-speaking Quebecers had voted in favor of sovereignty.
Lévesque and his party had run in the 1970 and 1973 Quebec elections under a platform of separating Quebec from the rest of Canada. The party failed to win control of Quebec's National Assembly both times &mdash; though its share of the vote increased from 23% to 30% &mdash; and Lévesque himself was defeated both times in the [[Electoral district (Canada)|riding]] he contested. In the 1976 election, he softened his message by promising a referendum (plebiscite) on [[sovereignty-association]] rather than outright separation, by which Quebec would have independence in most government functions but share some other ones, such as a common currency, with Canada. On November 15, 1976, Lévesque and the Parti Québécois won control of the provincial government for the first time. The question of sovereignty-association was placed before the voters in the [[1980 Quebec referendum]]. During the campaign, [[Pierre Trudeau]] promised that a vote for the NO side was a vote for reforming Canada. Trudeau advocated the [[patriation]] of Canada's Constitution from the [[United Kingdom]]. The existing constitutional document, the [[British North America Act]], could only be amended by the [[United Kingdom Parliament]] upon a request by the Canadian parliament.
 
  
Sixty percent of the Quebec electorate voted against the proposition. Polls showed that the overwhelming majority of English and immigrant Quebecers voted against, and that French Quebecers were almost equally divided, with older voters less in favour, and younger voters more in favour. After his loss in the referendum, Lévesque went back to Ottawa to start negotiating a new constitution with Trudeau, his minister of Justice [[Jean Chrétien]] and the nine other provincial premiers. Lévesque insisted Quebec be able to veto any future constitutional amendments. The negotiations quickly reached a stand-still.  
+
The referendum was enshrouded in controversy. Federalists complained that an unusually high number of ballots had been rejected in pro-federalist areas. The Government of Canada was accused of not respecting provincial laws with regard to spending during referendums and of having accelerated the naturalization of immigrant people living in the province of Quebec (43,850 immigrants were naturalized in 1995, whereas the average number between 1988 and 1998 was 21,733). The PQ has promised to hold another referendum should it return to government.  
  
Then on the night of November 4, 1981 (widely known in Quebec as ''La nuit des longs couteaux'' or the "Night of the Long Knives"'), Federal Justice Minister Jean Chretien<!not PM Trudeau, as erroneously reported here before—> met all the provincial premiers except [[René Lévesque]] to sign the document that would eventually become the new Canadian constitution. The next morning, they put Lévesque in front of the "fait accompli." Lévesque refused to sign the document, and returned to Quebec. In 1982, Trudeau had the new constitution approved by the British Parliament, with Quebec's signature still missing (a situation that persists to this day). The Supreme Court of Canada confirmed Trudeau's assertion that every province's approval is not required to amend the constitution.
+
Given the province's heritage and the preponderance of French, there is an ongoing debate in Canada regarding the status of Quebec. Prior attempts to amend the Canadian constitution to acknowledge Quebec as a 'distinct society'–referring to the province's uniqueness within Canada regarding law, language, and culture–have been unsuccessful; however, the federal government under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien endorsed recognition of Quebec as a distinct society. On October 30, 2003, the National Assembly voted unanimously to affirm "that the Québécois form a nation".<ref> [https://www.sqrc.gouv.qc.ca/relations-canadiennes/positions-historiques/motions/2003-10-30.pdf Résolution de l'Assebmblée Nationale du Québec] October 30, 2003. Retrieved September 12, 2022.</ref> On November 30, 2006, the House of Commons passed a motion declaring that "this House recognize[s] that the Québécois form a nation within a united Canada."<ref> [https://www.sqrc.gouv.qc.ca/relations-canadiennes/positions-historiques/motions/2006-11-30-resolution-nation.pdf Résolution de l'Assemblée Nationale du Québec] ''Parliament of Canada'', November 30, 2006. Retrieved September 12, 2022.</ref> As only a motion of the House, it is not legally binding.<ref>[https://www.sqrc.gouv.qc.ca/relations-canadiennes/institutions-constitution/statut-qc/reconnaisance-nation-en.asp Recognition of the Québec Nation] ''Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes''. Retrieved September 12, 2022.</ref>
  
In subsequent years, two attempts were made to gain Quebec's approval of the constitution. The first was the [[Meech Lake Accord]] of 1987, which was finally abandoned in 1990 when the provinces of [[Manitoba]] and [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]] refused to support it. This led to the formation of the sovereignist [[Bloc Québécois]] party in [[Ottawa]] under the leadership of [[Lucien Bouchard]], who had resigned from the federal cabinet. The second attempt, the [[Charlottetown Accord]] of 1992, was rejected by 56.7% of all Canadians and 57% of Quebecers. This result caused a split in the [[Parti libéral du Québec|Quebec Liberal Party]] that led to the formation of the new [[Action Démocratique]] (Democratic Action) party led by [[Mario Dumont]] and Jean Allaire.
+
== Government and politics ==
 +
The lieutenant governor represents [[King Charles III]] as head of state. The head of government is the premier (''premier ministre'' in French) who leads the largest party in the unicameral National Assembly or ''Assemblée Nationale'', from which the Council of Ministers is appointed.
  
On October 30, 1995, with the [[Parti Québécois]] back in power since 1994, a [[1995 Quebec referendum|second referendum]] on sovereignty took place. This time, it was rejected by a slim majority (50.6% NO to 49.4% YES); a clear majority of French-speaking Quebecers voted in favour of sovereignty.
+
Until 1968, the Quebec legislature was bicameral, consisting of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly. In that year the Legislative Council was abolished, and the Legislative Assembly was renamed the National Assembly. Quebec was the last province to abolish its legislative council.
  
The referendum was enshrouded in controversy. Federalists complained that an unusually high number of ballots had been rejected in pro-federalist areas, notably in the largely Jewish and Greek riding of Chomedey (11.7 % or 5,500 of its ballots were spoiled, compared to 750 or 1.7% in the general election of 1994) although Quebec's chief electoral officer found no evidence of outright fraud. The Government of Canada was accused of not respecting provincial laws with regard to spending during referendums (leading to a corruption scandal that would become public a decade later, greatly damaging the Liberal Party's standing), and to having accelerated the naturalization of immigrant people living in the province of Quebec (43,850 immigrants were naturalized in 1995, whereas the average number between 1988 and 1998 was 21,733).
+
==Economy==
 +
The St. Lawrence River Valley is a fertile [[agriculture|agricultural]] region, producing [[dairy]] products, [[fruit]]s, [[vegetable]]s, foie gras, [[maple syrup]] (Quebec is the world's largest producer), and [[livestock]].
  
The same night of the referendum, an angry [[Jacques Parizeau]], then premier and leader of the "Yes" side, declared that the loss was due to "[[money and the ethnic vote]]." Parizeau resigned over public outrage and as per his commitment to do so in case of a loss. [[Lucien Bouchard]] became Quebec's new premier in his place.
+
North of the St. Lawrence River Valley, the territory of Quebec is extremely rich in resources in its [[conifer]]ous [[forest]]s, [[lake]]s, and [[river]]s: pulp and [[paper]], [[lumber]], and [[hydroelectricity]] are still some of the province's most important industries.
  
Federalists accused the sovereignist side of asking a vague, overly complicated question on the ballot. Its English text read as follows:
+
High-tech industries are very important around [[Montreal]]. It includes the aerospace companies like [[aircraft]] manufacturer Bombardier, the [[jet]] engine company Pratt & Whitney, the flight simulator builder CAE, and defense contractor Lockheed Martin, Canada. Those companies and other major subcontractors make Quebec the fourth biggest player worldwide in the [[aviation]] industry.  
<blockquote>
 
''Do you agree that Québec should become sovereign after having made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership within the scope of the bill respecting the future of Québec and of the agreement signed on June 12, 1995?''
 
</blockquote>
 
After winning the next election, Bouchard retired from politics in 2001. [[Bernard Landry]] was then appointed leader of the [[Parti Québécois]] and premier of Quebec. In 2003, Landry lost the election to the [[Parti Libéral du Québec|Quebec Liberal Party]] and [[Jean Charest]]. Landry stepped down as PQ leader in 2005, and in a crowded race for the party leadership, [[André Boisclair]] was elected to succeed him. The PQ has promised to hold another referendum should it return to government.
 
  
Given the province's heritage and the preponderance of French (unique among the Canadian provinces), there is an ongoing debate in Canada regarding the status of Quebec and/or its people (wholly or partially). Prior attempts to amend the Canadian constitution to acknowledge Quebec as a '[[distinct society]]' – referring to the province's uniqueness within Canada regarding law, language, and culture – have been unsuccessful; however, the federal government under [[Prime Minister of Canada|prime minister]] Jean Chrétien would later endorse recognition of Quebec as a distinct society. On October 30, 2003, the National Assembly voted unanimously to affirm "that the Quebecers form a [[nation]]".<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.saic.gouv.qc.ca/publications/resolutions/20031030.pdf ''Résolution de l'Assebmblée Nationale du Québec'', October 30, 2003]|95.4&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 97740 bytes —>}}</ref>
+
[[Tourism]] is another important industry in Quebec, with Quebec being the second most important province for tourism in Canada,
On November 27 2006, the [[Canadian House of Commons|House of Commons]] passed a motion moved by prime minister [[Stephen Harper]] declaring that "this House recognize[s] that the [[Québécois]] form a nation within a united Canada."<ref>[http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Pub=hansard&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1&DocId=2544166&File=0#SOB-1798651 Hansard; 39th Parliament, 1st Session; No. 087; November 27, 2006]</ref><ref>[http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061128.wnation28/BNStory/National/home Galloway, Gloria; Curry, Bill; Dobrota, Alex; ''Globe and Mail'': 'Nation' motion passes, but costs Harper; November 28, 2006]</ref><ref>[http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061127.wchong1127/BNStory/National Bonoguore, Tenille; Sallot, Jeff; ''Globe and Mail'': Harper's Quebec motion passes easily; November 27, 2006]</ref> As only a motion of the House, it is not legally binding.
 
  
== Government and politics ==
+
==Demographics==
The Lieutenant Governor represents [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] as head of state. The head of government is the premier (called ''premier ministre'' in French) who leads the largest party in the unicameral National Assembly or ''Assemblée Nationale'', from which the Council of Ministers is appointed.
+
===Religion===
 +
Quebec is unique among the provinces in its overwhelmingly [[Roman Catholic]] population. This is a legacy of colonial times; only Catholics were permitted to settle in the [[New France]] colony. All major [[religion]]s are represented, to some degree, especially in [[Montreal]] and [[Quebec City]], where the [[Anglican Church of Canada]] has [[cathedral]]s. The allophone population of Montreal (those whose first [[language]] is neither English nor French) in particular represents many different religions and faiths. Montreal was once the center of [[Jewish]] culture in Canada, and retains a sizable Jewish population, especially visible in Côte Saint-Luc and in Mile-End/Le Plateau, which has a large [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidic]] population.
  
Until 1968, the Quebec legislature was bicameral, consisting of the Legislative Council  and the Legislative Assembly. In that year the Legislative Council was abolished, and the Legislative Assembly was renamed the National Assembly. Quebec was the last province to abolish its legislative council.
+
There are some 4,000 places of worship in Quebec City alone; hence, it is known as the city of churches.
  
=== Administrative subdivisions ===
+
===Language===
 +
Among the ten provinces of [[Canada]], Quebec is the only one whose majority (84.5 percent speak French as a dominant language) is francophone. Quebec's francophones account for at least 90 percent of all of Canada's [[French language|French]]-speaking population. About 95 percent of the population has fluency in French.
  
Quebec has subdivisions at the regional, supralocal, and local levels. Excluding administrative units reserved for Aboriginal lands, the primary types of subdivision are:
+
[[English language|English]]-speaking Quebecers reside mostly in the Greater Montreal Area, where they have built a well-established network of [[education]]al, social, economic, and cultural institutions. The absolute number and the share of native English speakers dropped significantly during the latter half of the twentieth century (from 13.8 percent in 1951 to just 8 percent in 2001) due to a net emigration to other Canadian provinces.
  
At the regional level:
+
==Education==
*17administrative regions.
+
[[Image:Quebecois flag.jpg|thumbnail|300px|The '''Fleurdelisé''' leads a ship to harbor near Quebec City.]]
At the supralocal level:
+
The Quebec [[education]] system is governed by the ''Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport'' (Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports). It is administered at the local level by publicly elected French and English school boards.  
*86 regional county municipalities or RCMs (''municipalités régionales de comté'', ''MRC'');
 
*2 metropolitan communities ''(communautés métropolitaines)''.
 
At the local level:
 
*1,117 local municipalities of various types;
 
*11 agglomerations ''(agglomérations)'' grouping 42 of these local municipalities;
 
*within 8 local municipalities, 45 boroughs ''(arrondissements)''.
 
  
===Population centers===
+
===Elementary and secondary education ===
The data are from the 2006 census of Canada. [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/popdwell/Table.cfm?T=202&PR=24&S=0&O=A&RPP=50]
+
Education begins at the age of 5 with kindergarten and grades 1-6 as elementary school. Secondary school is five years. All students must attend French-language public schools except in certain specific situations, such as children who have done most of their elementary or secondary studies in English elsewhere in Canada. These may attend publicly funded English schools.  
  
=== Census metropolitan areas by population ===
+
English is taught as a second language in French schools from Grade 1 onward. English schools offer French as a second language, French immersion, and fully bilingual programs.
{| class="wikitable"
 
!Census<br/>metropolitan<br/>area
 
!2006 pop.
 
!2001 pop.¹
 
![[Regions of Quebec|Region]]²
 
!Image
 
|-
 
|[[Montreal]]
 
|3,635,571
 
|3,451,027
 
|[[Montréal (region)|Montréal]]
 
|[[Image:Mont.jpg|180px]]
 
|-
 
|[[Quebec City]] <br/>(provincial capital)
 
|715,515
 
|686,569
 
|[[Capitale-Nationale]]
 
|[[Image:Quebec city view 2005-02-14.JPG|center|180px|]]
 
|-
 
|[[Gatineau, Quebec|Gatineau]]³
 
|283,959
 
|261,704
 
|[[Outaouais region|Outaouais]]
 
|[[Image:Gatineau-qc.jpg|center|180px|]]
 
|-
 
|[[Sherbrooke, Quebec|Sherbrooke]]
 
|186,952
 
|175,950
 
|[[Estrie]]
 
|[[Image:Sherbrooke.jpg|center|180px|]]
 
|-
 
|[[Saguenay, Quebec|Saguenay]]
 
|151,643
 
|154,938
 
|[[Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean]]
 
|[[Image:Chicoutimi.JPG|center|180px|]]
 
|-
 
|[[Trois-Rivières, Quebec|Trois-Rivières]]
 
|141,529
 
|137,507
 
|[[Mauricie]]
 
|[[Image:Trois-Rivières Des Forges.JPG|center|180px|]]
 
|}
 
  
¹These figures are adjusted to reflect boundary changes for the 2006 census.
+
===Religion in schools===
 +
Formerly, school boards were divided between [[Roman Catholic]] and [[Protestant]] (called "confessional schools"). The latter system was established through the British North America Act, 1867 (today the Constitution Act, 1867), which granted power over education to the provinces. Article 93 of the act made it unconstitutional for Quebec to change this system. Consequently, a constitutional amendment was required to operate the separation of the State and the Church in Quebec.  
  
²Where a metropolitan area straddles more than one administrative region, the region of the central municipality is given.
+
For more than a century before 1964 non-Catholic immigrants from outside Canada who settled in Quebec were not allowed to attend French Catholic schools. The Quebec Education Act of 1988 provided a change to linguistic school boards, a change that has not yet complete been fully implemented. In 1997, a unanimous vote by the National Assembly of Quebec allowed for Quebec to request that the government of Canada exempt the province from Article 93 of the Constitution Act. This request was passed by the federal parliament.
  
³These figures pertain to the part of the Ottawa-Gatineau census metropolitan area that is in Quebec. The total figures for the CMA, including the part in Ontario, are 1,130,761 (2006), 1,067,800 (2001).
+
Catholics maintain their rights to confessional schools in other Canadian provinces. The main public schools network offers the choice between moral or religious education while Catholics run their own separate schools.
  
=== Major municipalities ===
+
When public schools were deconfessionalized in 2000, Catholic and Protestant religious education (along with nonreligious moral education) classes continued to be part of the curriculum. To prevent court challenges by other religious groups wanting specialist religious education in schools, the government invoked the notwithstanding clause, which expired after five years.  
The municipalities of the Montreal, Quebec, and Ottawa-Gatineau metropolitan areas exceeding 50,000 in population in 2006 are given below with their [[Regions of Quebec|administrative regions]] in parentheses.
 
  
Montreal CMA: [[Montreal]] ([[Montréal (region)|Montréal]]), 1,620,693; [[Laval, Quebec|Laval]] ([[Laval (region)|Laval]]), 368,709; [[Longueuil, Quebec|Longueuil]] ([[Montérégie]]), 229,330; [[Terrebonne, Quebec|Terrebonne]] ([[Lanaudière]]), 94,703; [[Repentigny, Quebec|Repentigny]] (Lanaudière) 76,237;  [[Brossard, Quebec|Brossard]] (Montérégie), 71,154; [[Saint-Jérôme, Quebec|Saint-Jérôme]] ([[Laurentides (region)|Laurentides]], 63,729. The population of the Island of Montreal was 1,854,442.
+
===Private schools===
 +
Quebec has the highest proportion of children going to private schools in North America. The phenomenon is not restricted to the wealthy. Many middle class, lower middle class and even working class families scrimp and save to send their children to private schools. The government of Quebec gives a pro rata subsidy for each child to any private school that meets its standards and follows its prescriptions, reducing tuition costs to approximately 30 percent of non-subsidized private schools.
  
Quebec CMA: [[Quebec City]] ([[Capitale-Nationale]]), 491,142; [[Lévis, Quebec|Lévis]] ([[Chaudière-Appalaches]]), 130,006.
+
Most of the private schools are secondary institutions, though there are a few primary schools, most of them serving precise religious or cultural groups. Of the high school population of Quebec, 17 percent currently attends a private high school. The figure is even higher in urban centers such as Montreal, where 30 percent of high school students are in the private sector.
  
Ottawa-Gatineau CMA: [[Gatineau, Quebec|Gatineau]] ([[Outaouais region|Outaouais]]), 242,124. The population of [[Ottawa, Ontario]] is 812,129.
+
==Post-secondary education==
 +
===CEGEPs===
  
==Economy==
+
Most students continue to CEGEP (''Collège d'enseignement général et professionel'' (general and professional education college), where they can specialize in a number of different vocational or pre-university fields. The term of study is two years for pre-university and three years for most vocational diplomas. Like primary and secondary schools, both state-run and private CEGEPs exist. Unlike the state-run CEGEPs, private post-secondary schools usually do not combine pre-university and vocational programs in one institution. About half offer pre-university and the other half vocational programs.
[[Image:Montreal Twilight Panorama 2006.jpg|thumb|center|590px|[[Montreal]], North America's Francophone metropolis]]
 
  
<p>The St. Lawrence River Valley is a fertile agricultural region, producing [[dairy]] products, [[fruit]], [[vegetable]]s, [[foie gras]], [[maple syrup]] (Quebec is the world's largest producer), and [[livestock]].</p>
+
===Universities===
  
North of the St. Lawrence River Valley, the territory of Quebec is extremely rich in resources in its coniferous forests, lakes, and rivers—pulp and [[paper]], [[lumber]], and [[hydroelectricity]] are still some of the province's most important industries.
+
Primary school, secondary school, and CEGEP total 13 years of pre-university study, one more than other provinces. For this reason, most undergraduate [[university]] degrees in Quebec universities are only three years in length for Quebec students who have obtained a CEGEP diploma. Students from outside Quebec have this term supplemented by a freshman year at the beginning of their university career. The government of Quebec founded a network of universities in several Quebec cities, called the Université du Québec. All universities in the province have since become public in a similar fashion to other Canadian provinces. Quebec subsidizes post-secondary education and controls tuition fees, resulting in low student costs. [[Montreal]] has a higher percentage of university students in its population than all other major North American cities.
  
High-tech industries are very important around [[Montreal]]. It includes the aerospace companies like aircraft manufacturer [[Bombardier]], the jet engine company [[Pratt & Whitney]], the flight simulator builder [[CAE (company)|CAE]] and defence contractor [[Lockheed Martin|Lockheed Martin, Canada]]. Those companies and other major subcontractors make Quebec the fourth biggest player worldwide in the aviation industry.  
+
==Culture==
 +
[[Image:Château Frontenac.JPG|thumb|right|400px|Château Frontenac, the world's most photographed [[hotel]], is iconic to the province of Quebec.]]
 +
Quebec is the largest French-speaking society in the Americas. [[Montreal]] is the cosmopolitan cultural heart of Quebec. Quebec is home to a people that are connected to the strong cultural currents of the [[United States]], [[France]], and the [[United Kingdom]]. Quebec is also home to 11 aboriginal nations.  
  
[[Image:Château Frontenac.JPG|thumb|right|250px|[[Château Frontenac]], the world's most photographed hotel, is iconic to the province of Quebec.]]
+
The [[architecture]] is characterized by the juxtaposition of the old and the new and a wide variety of architectural styles, the legacy of two successive colonizations (by the French and the British) and the close presence of the architecture of the [[United States]].
==Demographics==
 
  
Quebec's [[fertility rate]] is now among the lowest in Canada. At 1.48, it is well below the replacement fertility rate of 2.1. This contrasts with the fertility rate before 1960 which was among the highest of any industrialized societies. The fertility rate in 2006 was 1.62.
+
Noted for its religious heritage, Quebec has 122 religious buildings listed as historical monuments. The best known [[Roman Catholic]] churches include Saint Joseph's Oratory, Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral, Notre-Dame Basilica, and Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral.
  
Although Quebec represents only 24% of the population of Canada, the number of international adoptions in Quebec is the highest of all provinces of Canada. In 2001, 42% of international adoptions in Canada were carried out in Quebec.
+
Québec has some 400 [[museum]]s. The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec houses a large collection of seventeenth-century Québec [[art]]. The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, one of the oldest in Canada, and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, which exhibits the work of modern masters, both feature major international touring shows as well.
  
===Ethnic origins===
+
The traditional [[folk music]] of Quebec has two main influences: the traditional songs of [[France]], and the influence of [[Celtic music]], with reels and songs that show a definite affinity with the traditional music of Canada's [[Maritime Provinces]], [[Ireland]], [[Scotland]], and [[Brittany]]. Quebec has also produced world-class [[classical music]] over the years, such as the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1934. [[Jazz]] also has a long tradition in Quebec. Montreal's annual International Jazz Festival draws millions of visitors each summer.
{| class="wikitable" align="right"
 
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
 
!Ethnic origin
 
!Population
 
!Percent
 
|-
 
|"Canadian"
 
|4,897,475
 
|68.73%
 
|-
 
|French
 
|2,111,570
 
|29.67%
 
|-
 
|Irish
 
|291,545
 
|5.09%
 
|-
 
|Italian
 
|249,205
 
|3.70%
 
|-
 
|English
 
|218,415
 
|3.07%
 
|-
 
|Scottish
 
|156,140
 
|2.19%
 
|-
 
|North American Indian
 
|130,165
 
|1.83%
 
|-
 
|German
 
|88,700
 
|1.24%
 
|-
 
|Jewish
 
|82,450
 
|1.16%
 
|-
 
|Haitian
 
|74,465
 
|1.05%
 
|}
 
The information regarding ethnicities at the right is from the [http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo26f.htm 2001 Canadian Census].
 
The percentages add to more than 100% because of dual responses (e.g., "French-Canadian" generates an entry in both the category "French" and the category "Canadian".) Groups with greater than 70,000 responses are included.
 
  
===Religion===
+
==Looking to the future==
Quebec is unique among the provinces in its overwhelmingly [[Roman Catholic]] population. This is a legacy of colonial times; only Catholics were permitted to settle in the [[New France]] colony.
+
While francophones currently constitute a little under 80 percent of the overall population, they also feature the lowest birthrate in [[North America]]. If such trends continue, researchers predict that the low birthrate among francophones and the lack of adoption of the [[French language]] and assimilation into the francophone culture by allophone (those whose primary language is neither English nor French) immigrants will cause the French-speaking population in Montreal to dive below the 50 percent mark in the coming decades.
* 90.2% [[Christian]]
 
** 83.3% Roman Catholic
 
** 4.7% [[Protestant]]
 
** 1.4% [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Eastern Orthodox]]
 
** 0.8% other [[Christianity|Christian]]
 
* 7.1% non-religious
 
* 1.5% [[Muslim]]
 
* 1.2% [[Jewish]]
 
  
===Language===
+
The decline in the francophone birth rate and the weakening position of the French language in Montreal directly led to the passing of the Charter of the French Language (Bill 101) by the Government of Quebec to protect the status of the French language as well as to increase the numbers of francophones in the future. Due to this legislation, children of allophone immigrants learn the [[French language]] and francophone culture through the public school system. Thus, they usually become fluent in French as well as in [[English language|English]].
Quebec is the only Canadian province where French is the only official language. In 2001 the population was: [http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/regions/recens2001_17/langue17/materuni17_an.htm]
 
* French speakers: 82.0%
 
* English speakers: 7.9%
 
* Others: 10.1% (Italian 5.2%, Spanish 2.3%, Arabic 2.9%, and others)
 
==Education==
 
  
[[Image:Quebecois flag.jpg|thumbnail|250px|The '''Fleurdelisé''' leads a ship to harbor near Quebec City.]]
+
== Notes ==
 +
<references/>
  
==Culture==
+
==References==
Quebec is the largest French-speaking society in the [[Americas]]. Most French Canadians live in Quebec, though there are other concentrations of French-speakers throughout Canada with varying degrees of ties to Quebec. [[Montreal]] is the cosmopolitan cultural heart of Quebec. History made Quebec a place where cultures meet, where people from all over the world experience America,. Often described as a crossroads between Europe and America, Quebec is home to a people that are connected to the strong cultural currents of the [[United States]], [[France]], and the [[UK]] all at the same time.
+
* Courville, Serge, and Richard Howard. ''Quebec: a historical geography''. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2008. ISBN 077481425X
 
+
* Fowler, William M. ''Empires at war the French and Indian War and the struggle for North America, 1754 - 1763.'' Bloomsbury Publishing, 2006. ISBN 978-0802777379
English-speaking Quebecers constitute an official language minority whose number, according to the 2001 census and depending on the method of reckoning, ranges from 557,040 (mother tongue, single response) to 918,955 ("first official language spoken" English plus half of those with both English and French as first official language spoken), constituting 7.8% to 12.9% of the population. [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/standard/themes/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?Temporal=2001&PID=55541&APATH=3&METH=1&PTYPE=55440&THEME=41&FOCUS=0&AID=0&PLACENAME=0&PROVINCE=0&SEARCH=0&GC=0&GK=0&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&FL=0&RL=0&FREE=0&GID=431540] [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/standard/themes/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?Temporal=2001&PID=55741&APATH=3&METH=1&PTYPE=55496&THEME=41&FOCUS=0&AID=0&PLACENAME=0&PROVINCE=0&SEARCH=0&GC=0&GK=0&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&FL=0&RL=0&FREE=0&GID=355318] [http://www.hrma-agrh.gc.ca/ollo/reimplementation-reapplication/MP-PM200101_e.asp] 
+
* Oakes, Leigh, and Jane Warren. ''Language, citizenship and identity in Quebec''. Language and globalization. Basingstoke [England]: Palgrave Macmillian, 2007. ISBN 978-1403949752
Quebec is also home to 11 aboriginal nations. The total Aboriginal identity population of Quebec was 79,400 in 2001.
+
* Parkman, Francis. ''The Parkman reader; from the works of Francis Parkman''. Boston: Little, Brown, 1955. {{ASIN|B0006AU50E}}
===Sports===
 
 
 
*[[National Hockey League]]
 
**Montreal Canadiens
 
 
 
*Canadian Football League
 
**Montreal Alouettes
 
==Looking to the future==
 
== Notes ==
 
{{reflist}}
 
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
* {{en icon}} [http://www.gouv.qc.ca/portail/quebec/pgs?lang=en Government of Quebec]
+
All links retrieved December 7, 2022.
* {{en icon}} [http://www.omninternet.com/radio/response.asp?estadoURL=Quebec&Tzona=canada&Testado=canadaRadio All Quebec: live radio stations, newspapers, history, biographies, sports, love, etc.]  
+
* {{en icon}} [https://www.quebec.ca/en/ Gouvernement du Québec]
* {{en icon}} [http://www.bonjourquebec.com/ Bonjour Québec], Quebec government official tourist site
+
* {{en icon}} [https://www.bonjourquebec.com/en Bonjour Québec] Official tourism site of the Government of Québec
* {{en icon}} [http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/bill101/ Laws to protect the endangered French languages]
+
* {{en icon}} [https://www.republiquelibre.org/cousture/1759B.HTM 1759: the conquest of Québec]
* {{en icon}} [http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-73-651/politics_economy/quebec_elections/ CBC Digital Archives - Quebec Elections: 1960-1998]
+
* {{en icon}} [https://thecanadaguide.com/places/quebec/ Quebec] ''Canada Guide''
* {{fr icon}} [http://www.agora.qc.ca/ Agora], online encyclopaedia from Quebec
 
* {{en icon}} {{wikitravel}}
 
  
'''History:'''
+
{{Provinces and territories of Canada}}
* {{en icon}} [http://www2.marianopolis.edu/quebechistory/ Quebec History], online encyclopaedia made by Marianapolis College
 
* {{en icon}} [http://www.republiquelibre.org/cousture/1759B.HTM History of the 1759 British invasion of Quebec]
 
* {{en icon}} [http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/collections/theme/2 The 1837-1838 Rebellion in Lower Canada], Images from the McCord Museum's collections
 
* {{fr icon}} [http://www4.bnquebec.ca/cargeo/accueil.htm Bibliothèque nationales du Québec Map Collection], 5,000 digitized maps
 
  
 
{{credit|137785977}}
 
{{credit|137785977}}
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[[Category:Geography]]
 
[[Category:Geography]]
 
[[Category:North America]]
 
[[Category:North America]]
 +
[[Category:Canada]]

Latest revision as of 15:40, 7 December 2022

Quebec
Québec (French)
Flag of Quebec Coat of arms of Quebec
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Je me souviens
(I remember)
Map of Canada with Quebec highlighted
Capital Quebec City
Largest city Montreal
Official languages French[1]
Government
- Lieutenant Governor J. Michel Doyon
- Premier François Legault (CAQ)
Federal representation in Canadian Parliament
- House seats 75
- Senate seats 24
Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st, with Ont., N.S., N.B.)
Area  Ranked 2nd
- Total 1,542,056 km² (595,391 sq mi)
- Land 1,365,128 km² (527,079 sq mi)
- Water (%) 176,928 km² (68,312 sq mi) (11.5%)
Population  Ranked 2nd
- Total (2021) 8,501,833[2]
- Density 6.5/km² (16.8/sq mi)
GDP  Ranked 2nd
- Total (2015) C$380.972 billion[3]
- Per capita C$46,126 (10th)
Abbreviations
- Postal QC[4]
- ISO 3166-2 CA-QC
Time zone UTC−5, −4
Postal code prefix G, H, J
Flower Blue Flag Iris[5]
Tree Yellow Birch[5]
Bird Snowy Owl[5]
Web site www.gouv.qc.ca
Rankings include all provinces and territories

Quebec is a province in eastern Canada. Known as la belle province ("the beautiful province"), Quebec is bordered to the west by the province of Ontario, James Bay, and Hudson Bay. To the north are the Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay, to the east the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the provinces of New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, and to the south the United States (the states of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine). It also shares maritime borders with the Territory of Nunavut and the provinces of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

Quebec is Canada's largest province by area and its second-largest administrative division; only the territory of Nunavut is larger. It is the second most populated province, and most of its inhabitants live along or close to the banks of the Saint Lawrence River. The central and northern portion of the province is sparsely populated and inhabited by the aboriginal peoples of Canada.

Quebec, then called Canada, formed part of the colonial empire of New France until the Seven Years' War, when it was conquered by Great Britain; the 1763 Treaty of Paris formally transferred the colony to British possession. Quebec became a province of the Canadian Confederation upon its founding in 1867.

While the province's substantial natural resources have long been the mainstay of its economy, Quebec has renewed itself to function effectively in the knowledge economy: information and communication technologies, aerospace, biotechnology, and health industries.

The official language of Quebec is French; it is the sole Canadian province whose population is mainly French Canadian, and where English is not an official language at the provincial level.

Nationalism plays a large role in the politics of Quebec, and all three major provincial political parties have sought greater autonomy for Quebec and recognition of its unique status. Sovereigntist governments have held referendums on independence in 1980 and 1995. In 2006, the Canadian House of Commons passed a symbolic motion recognizing the "Québécois as a nation within a united Canada."

Geography

Territory

In 1870, Canada purchased Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company and over the next few decades the Parliament transferred portions of this territory to Quebec that would more than triple the size of the province. In 1898, the first Quebec Boundary Extension Act expanded the provincial boundaries northward to include the lands of the indigenous Cree. This was followed by the addition of the northernmost lands of the Inuit to create the modern Province of Quebec.

As a result of the boundary expansions, the province currently occupies a vast territory (nearly three times the size of France), most of which is very sparsely populated. More than 90 percent of Quebec's area lies within the Canadian Shield and includes the greater part of the Labrador Peninsula.

The most populated region is the Saint Lawrence River valley in the south, where the capital, Quebec City, and the largest city, Montreal, are situated. North of Montreal are the Laurentians, a mountain range, and to the east are the Appalachian Mountains, which extend into the Eastern Townships and Gaspésie regions. Quebec's highest mountain is Mont D'Iberville, which is located on the border with Newfoundland and Labrador in the northeastern part of the province. The Gaspé Peninsula juts into the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the east.

The northern third of the province is a region known as Nunavik (not to be confused with the province of Nunavut), which is subarctic or arctic and is primarily inhabited by Inuit. A major hydroelectric project is found on the La Grande and Eastmain rivers in the James Bay region and on the Manicouagan River, north of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Climate

Quebec has three main climate regions. Southern and western Quebec, including most of the major population centers, have a humid continental climate with warm, humid summers and long, cold winters. The main climatic influences are from western and northern Canada which moved eastward and from the southern and central United States that move northward. Due to the influence of both storm systems from the core of North America and the Atlantic Ocean, precipitation is abundant throughout the year, with most areas receiving more than 40 inches (1,000 mm) of precipitation, including over 120 inches (300 cm) of snow in many areas. Severe summer weather (such as tornadoes and severe thunderstorms) are far less common than in southern Ontario, although they occasionally occur.

Most of central Quebec has a subarctic climate. Winters here are long and among the coldest in eastern Canada, while summers are warm but very short due to the higher latitude and the greater influence of Arctic air masses. Precipitation is also somewhat less than farther south, except at some of the higher elevations.

The northern regions of Quebec have an arctic climate, with very cold winters and short, much cooler summers. The primary influences here are the Arctic Ocean currents (such as the Labrador Current) and continental air masses from the High Arctic.

History

First Nations: before 1500

At the time of first European contact and later colonization, Algonquin, Iroquois, and Inuit groups were the peoples of what is now Québec. Their lifestyles and cultures reflected the land on which they lived. The Algonquin groups lived nomadic lives based on hunting, gathering, and fishing in the rugged terrain of the Canadian Shield and Appalachian Mountains. St. Lawrence Iroquoians lived more settled lives, planting squash and maize in the fertile soils of the St. Lawrence Valley. The Inuit continue to fish and hunt whale and seal in the harsh Arctic climate along the coasts of Hudson and Ungava Bays. These peoples traded fur and food and sometimes warred with each other.

The name "Quebec," which comes from a Míkmaq word meaning "strait, narrows," originally referred to the narrowing of the Saint Lawrence River off what is currently Quebec City. There have been variations in spelling of the name: Québecq, Kébec, and Québec.

Early European exploration: 1500

Basque whalers and fishermen traded furs throughout the 1500s. The first French explorer to reach Quebec was Jacques Cartier, who planted a cross either in Gaspé in 1534 or at Old Fort Bay on the Lower North Shore. He sailed into the Saint Lawrence River in 1535 and established an ill-fated colony near present-day Quebec City at the site of Stadacona, an Iroquoian village.

Samuel de Champlain was part of a 1603 expedition from France that traveled into the St. Lawrence River. In 1608, he returned as head of an exploration party and founded Quebec City with the intention of making the area part of the French empire. Champlain's outpost was his base to forge a trading, and ultimately a military, alliance with the Algonquin and Huron nations. Natives traded their furs for French goods such as metal objects, guns, alcohol, and clothing.

"Canoe Manned by Voyageurs Passing a Waterfall" by Frances Anne Hopkins

From Quebec, voyageurs (licensed fur traders) and Roman Catholic missionaries used canoes to explore the interior of the North American continent, establishing fur trading forts on the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, Ohio River, and Mississippi River, as well as the Prairie and Missouri Rivers.

After 1627, King Louis XIII of France introduced the seigneurial system—a semi-feudal system of land distribution used in the colonies of New France[6]—and forbade settlement by anyone other than Roman Catholics. Under the seigneurial system, the lands were arranged in long, narrow strips, called seigneuries, along the banks of the Saint Lawrence River. Each piece of land belonged to the king of France and was maintained by the landlord, or seigneur. Sulpician and Jesuit clerics founded missions in Trois-Rivières and Montréal or Ville-Marie to convert New France's Huron and Algonquin allies to Catholicism.

New France became a royal province in 1663 under King Louis XIV of France with a Sovereign Council that included intendant Jean Talon. This ushered in a golden era of settlement and colonization in New France. The population grew from about 3,000 to 60,000 between 1666 and 1760. The colony's total population was limited, however, by a winter climate significantly harsher than that found in France; by the spread of diseases; and by the refusal of the French crown to allow Huguenots, or French Protestants, to settle. The population of New France lagged far behind that of the 13 British colonies to the south, leaving it vulnerable to attack.

Conquest of New France

In 1753 France began building a series of forts in the British-held Ohio region. They refused to leave after being notified by the British governor and, in 1754, George Washington launched an attack on Fort Duquesne (now Pittsburgh) in an attempt to enforce the British claim to the territory. This frontier battle set the stage for the French and Indian War in North America. By 1756, France and Britain were battling the Seven Years' War worldwide. In 1758, the British mounted an attack on New France by sea and took the French fort at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia.

The Death of General Wolfe during the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, by Benjamin West. The French commander, Marquis de Montcalm, died the following day from wounds received in this battle.

In 1759, General James Wolfe defeated General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham outside Quebec City. The battle involved fewer than 10,000 troops between both sides, but proved to be a deciding moment in the conflict between France and Britain over the fate of New France, influencing the later creation of Canada.

France ceded its North American possessions to Great Britain in 1763.

In 1774, fearful that the French-speaking population of Quebec (as the colony was now called) would side with the rebels of the thirteen colonies to the south, the British Parliament passed the Quebec Act giving recognition to French law, the Catholic religion, and French language in the colony; before that Catholics had been excluded from public office and recruitment of priests and brothers forbidden, effectively shutting down Quebec's schools and colleges. By the Quebec Act, the Quebec people obtained their first charter of rights. That paved the way to later official recognition of the French language and culture. The act also sanctioned freedom of religious choice.

At the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, a 1775 invasion by the Continental Army met with early success but was later repelled at Quebec City. The American Revolution was ultimately successful in winning the independence of the 13 colonies. With the Treaty of Paris (1783), Quebec ceded its territory south of the Great Lakes to the new United States of America.

The Rebellion

Like their counterparts in Upper Canada, in 1837, English- and French-speaking residents of Lower Canada formed an armed resistance group to seek an end to British colonial rule. They issued a declaration of rights with equality for all citizens without discrimination, and a declaration of independence in 1838. Their actions resulted in rebellions in both Lower and Upper Canada. An unprepared British army had to raise a local militia, and the rebel forces were soon defeated.

After the rebellions, Lord Durham was asked to undertake a study and prepare a report on the matter and to offer a solution for the British Parliament to assess. The final report recommended that the population of Lower Canada be assimilated, and the British government merged the two colonial provinces in 1841.

The political union proved contentious, however. Reformers in both Canada West (formerly Upper Canada) and Canada East (formerly Lower Canada) worked to repeal limitations on the use of the French language in the legislature. The two colonies remained distinct in administration, elections, and law. In 1848, reformers returned the French language to legal status.

Canadian Confederation

In the 1860s, delegates from the colonies of British North America (Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland) met in a series of conferences to discuss self-governing status for a new confederation.

The first took place in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, followed by one in Quebec City that led to a delegation going to London, England, with a proposal for national union. As a result of those deliberations, in 1867 the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed the British North America Act, providing for the confederation of most of these provinces.

The former Province of Canada was divided into its two previous parts as the provinces of Ontario (Upper Canada) and Quebec (Lower Canada). New Brunswick and Nova Scotia joined Ontario and Quebec in the new Dominion of Canada. Prince Edward Island joined in 1873, and the Dominion of Newfoundland entered the confederation in 1949.

The 'Quiet Revolution'

A panorama of the city, taken from the Chalet du Mont Royal at the top of Mount Royal in Montreal

The conservative government of Maurice Duplessis and his Union Nationale dominated Quebec politics from 1944 to 1960 with the support of the Roman Catholic church. Pierre Trudeau and other liberals formed an intellectual opposition to Duplessis's regime, setting the groundwork for the Quiet Revolution, a period of dramatic social and political change that saw the decline of Anglo supremacy in the Quebec economy, the decline of the Roman Catholic Church's influence, the nationalization of hydroelectric companies, and the emergence of a movement aimed at attaining independent statehood (sovereignty) for Quebec. Two referendums (in 1980 and 1995) rejected sovereignty.

Beginning in 1963, a terrorist group that became known as the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) launched a decade of bombings, robberies, and attacks directed primarily at English institutions, resulting in at least five deaths. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act. Of the 497 persons arrested throughout Canada, 62 were charged; 32 were crimes of such seriousness that a Quebec Superior Court judge refused them bail. The fallout of the crisis marked the twilight of the FLQ, which lost membership and public support.

In 1977, the newly elected Parti Québécois government of René Lévesque introduced the Charter of the French Language. Often known as Bill 101, it defined French as the only official language of Quebec.

A constitutional crisis

Lévesque and his party had run in the 1970 and 1973 Quebec elections under a platform of separating Quebec from the rest of Canada. The party failed to win control of Quebec's National Assembly both times. In the 1976 election, he softened his message by promising a referendum (plebiscite) on sovereignty-association rather than outright separation, by which Quebec would have independence in most government functions but share some other ones, such as a common currency, with Canada. On November 15, 1976, Lévesque and the Parti Québécois won control of the provincial government for the first time. The question of sovereignty-association was placed before the voters in the 1980 Quebec referendum. The existing constitutional document, the British North America Act, could only be amended by the Parliament of the United Kingdom upon a request by the Canadian parliament.

Sixty percent of the Quebec electorate voted against the proposition. After his loss, Lévesque began negotiating a new constitution and insisted that Quebec be able to veto any future constitutional amendments. The negotiations quickly reached a standstill.

On the night of November 4, 1981 (widely known in Quebec as La nuit des longs couteaux or the "Night of the Long Knives"'), Federal Justice Minister Jean Chretien met all the provincial premiers except Lévesque to sign the document that would eventually become the new Canadian constitution. The next morning, they confronted Lévesque with the fait accompli. Lévesque refused to sign the document. In 1982, the new constitution was approved by the British Parliament, with Quebec's signature missing (a situation that persists to this day).

In subsequent years, two unsuccessful attempts were made to gain Quebec's approval of the constitution. On October 30, 1995, with the Parti Québécois back in power, a second referendum on sovereignty took place. This time, it was rejected by a slim majority (50.6 percent to 49.4 percent); a clear majority of French-speaking Quebecers had voted in favor of sovereignty.

The referendum was enshrouded in controversy. Federalists complained that an unusually high number of ballots had been rejected in pro-federalist areas. The Government of Canada was accused of not respecting provincial laws with regard to spending during referendums and of having accelerated the naturalization of immigrant people living in the province of Quebec (43,850 immigrants were naturalized in 1995, whereas the average number between 1988 and 1998 was 21,733). The PQ has promised to hold another referendum should it return to government.

Given the province's heritage and the preponderance of French, there is an ongoing debate in Canada regarding the status of Quebec. Prior attempts to amend the Canadian constitution to acknowledge Quebec as a 'distinct society'–referring to the province's uniqueness within Canada regarding law, language, and culture–have been unsuccessful; however, the federal government under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien endorsed recognition of Quebec as a distinct society. On October 30, 2003, the National Assembly voted unanimously to affirm "that the Québécois form a nation".[7] On November 30, 2006, the House of Commons passed a motion declaring that "this House recognize[s] that the Québécois form a nation within a united Canada."[8] As only a motion of the House, it is not legally binding.[9]

Government and politics

The lieutenant governor represents King Charles III as head of state. The head of government is the premier (premier ministre in French) who leads the largest party in the unicameral National Assembly or Assemblée Nationale, from which the Council of Ministers is appointed.

Until 1968, the Quebec legislature was bicameral, consisting of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly. In that year the Legislative Council was abolished, and the Legislative Assembly was renamed the National Assembly. Quebec was the last province to abolish its legislative council.

Economy

The St. Lawrence River Valley is a fertile agricultural region, producing dairy products, fruits, vegetables, foie gras, maple syrup (Quebec is the world's largest producer), and livestock.

North of the St. Lawrence River Valley, the territory of Quebec is extremely rich in resources in its coniferous forests, lakes, and rivers: pulp and paper, lumber, and hydroelectricity are still some of the province's most important industries.

High-tech industries are very important around Montreal. It includes the aerospace companies like aircraft manufacturer Bombardier, the jet engine company Pratt & Whitney, the flight simulator builder CAE, and defense contractor Lockheed Martin, Canada. Those companies and other major subcontractors make Quebec the fourth biggest player worldwide in the aviation industry.

Tourism is another important industry in Quebec, with Quebec being the second most important province for tourism in Canada,

Demographics

Religion

Quebec is unique among the provinces in its overwhelmingly Roman Catholic population. This is a legacy of colonial times; only Catholics were permitted to settle in the New France colony. All major religions are represented, to some degree, especially in Montreal and Quebec City, where the Anglican Church of Canada has cathedrals. The allophone population of Montreal (those whose first language is neither English nor French) in particular represents many different religions and faiths. Montreal was once the center of Jewish culture in Canada, and retains a sizable Jewish population, especially visible in Côte Saint-Luc and in Mile-End/Le Plateau, which has a large Hasidic population.

There are some 4,000 places of worship in Quebec City alone; hence, it is known as the city of churches.

Language

Among the ten provinces of Canada, Quebec is the only one whose majority (84.5 percent speak French as a dominant language) is francophone. Quebec's francophones account for at least 90 percent of all of Canada's French-speaking population. About 95 percent of the population has fluency in French.

English-speaking Quebecers reside mostly in the Greater Montreal Area, where they have built a well-established network of educational, social, economic, and cultural institutions. The absolute number and the share of native English speakers dropped significantly during the latter half of the twentieth century (from 13.8 percent in 1951 to just 8 percent in 2001) due to a net emigration to other Canadian provinces.

Education

The Fleurdelisé leads a ship to harbor near Quebec City.

The Quebec education system is governed by the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports). It is administered at the local level by publicly elected French and English school boards.

Elementary and secondary education

Education begins at the age of 5 with kindergarten and grades 1-6 as elementary school. Secondary school is five years. All students must attend French-language public schools except in certain specific situations, such as children who have done most of their elementary or secondary studies in English elsewhere in Canada. These may attend publicly funded English schools.

English is taught as a second language in French schools from Grade 1 onward. English schools offer French as a second language, French immersion, and fully bilingual programs.

Religion in schools

Formerly, school boards were divided between Roman Catholic and Protestant (called "confessional schools"). The latter system was established through the British North America Act, 1867 (today the Constitution Act, 1867), which granted power over education to the provinces. Article 93 of the act made it unconstitutional for Quebec to change this system. Consequently, a constitutional amendment was required to operate the separation of the State and the Church in Quebec.

For more than a century before 1964 non-Catholic immigrants from outside Canada who settled in Quebec were not allowed to attend French Catholic schools. The Quebec Education Act of 1988 provided a change to linguistic school boards, a change that has not yet complete been fully implemented. In 1997, a unanimous vote by the National Assembly of Quebec allowed for Quebec to request that the government of Canada exempt the province from Article 93 of the Constitution Act. This request was passed by the federal parliament.

Catholics maintain their rights to confessional schools in other Canadian provinces. The main public schools network offers the choice between moral or religious education while Catholics run their own separate schools.

When public schools were deconfessionalized in 2000, Catholic and Protestant religious education (along with nonreligious moral education) classes continued to be part of the curriculum. To prevent court challenges by other religious groups wanting specialist religious education in schools, the government invoked the notwithstanding clause, which expired after five years.

Private schools

Quebec has the highest proportion of children going to private schools in North America. The phenomenon is not restricted to the wealthy. Many middle class, lower middle class and even working class families scrimp and save to send their children to private schools. The government of Quebec gives a pro rata subsidy for each child to any private school that meets its standards and follows its prescriptions, reducing tuition costs to approximately 30 percent of non-subsidized private schools.

Most of the private schools are secondary institutions, though there are a few primary schools, most of them serving precise religious or cultural groups. Of the high school population of Quebec, 17 percent currently attends a private high school. The figure is even higher in urban centers such as Montreal, where 30 percent of high school students are in the private sector.

Post-secondary education

CEGEPs

Most students continue to CEGEP (Collège d'enseignement général et professionel (general and professional education college), where they can specialize in a number of different vocational or pre-university fields. The term of study is two years for pre-university and three years for most vocational diplomas. Like primary and secondary schools, both state-run and private CEGEPs exist. Unlike the state-run CEGEPs, private post-secondary schools usually do not combine pre-university and vocational programs in one institution. About half offer pre-university and the other half vocational programs.

Universities

Primary school, secondary school, and CEGEP total 13 years of pre-university study, one more than other provinces. For this reason, most undergraduate university degrees in Quebec universities are only three years in length for Quebec students who have obtained a CEGEP diploma. Students from outside Quebec have this term supplemented by a freshman year at the beginning of their university career. The government of Quebec founded a network of universities in several Quebec cities, called the Université du Québec. All universities in the province have since become public in a similar fashion to other Canadian provinces. Quebec subsidizes post-secondary education and controls tuition fees, resulting in low student costs. Montreal has a higher percentage of university students in its population than all other major North American cities.

Culture

Château Frontenac, the world's most photographed hotel, is iconic to the province of Quebec.

Quebec is the largest French-speaking society in the Americas. Montreal is the cosmopolitan cultural heart of Quebec. Quebec is home to a people that are connected to the strong cultural currents of the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. Quebec is also home to 11 aboriginal nations.

The architecture is characterized by the juxtaposition of the old and the new and a wide variety of architectural styles, the legacy of two successive colonizations (by the French and the British) and the close presence of the architecture of the United States.

Noted for its religious heritage, Quebec has 122 religious buildings listed as historical monuments. The best known Roman Catholic churches include Saint Joseph's Oratory, Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral, Notre-Dame Basilica, and Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral.

Québec has some 400 museums. The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec houses a large collection of seventeenth-century Québec art. The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, one of the oldest in Canada, and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, which exhibits the work of modern masters, both feature major international touring shows as well.

The traditional folk music of Quebec has two main influences: the traditional songs of France, and the influence of Celtic music, with reels and songs that show a definite affinity with the traditional music of Canada's Maritime Provinces, Ireland, Scotland, and Brittany. Quebec has also produced world-class classical music over the years, such as the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1934. Jazz also has a long tradition in Quebec. Montreal's annual International Jazz Festival draws millions of visitors each summer.

Looking to the future

While francophones currently constitute a little under 80 percent of the overall population, they also feature the lowest birthrate in North America. If such trends continue, researchers predict that the low birthrate among francophones and the lack of adoption of the French language and assimilation into the francophone culture by allophone (those whose primary language is neither English nor French) immigrants will cause the French-speaking population in Montreal to dive below the 50 percent mark in the coming decades.

The decline in the francophone birth rate and the weakening position of the French language in Montreal directly led to the passing of the Charter of the French Language (Bill 101) by the Government of Quebec to protect the status of the French language as well as to increase the numbers of francophones in the future. Due to this legislation, children of allophone immigrants learn the French language and francophone culture through the public school system. Thus, they usually become fluent in French as well as in English.

Notes

  1. Charter of the French language Gouvernement du Québec. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  2. Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories Statistics Canada, February 9, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  3. Gross domestic product, expenditure-based, by province and territory Statistics Canada. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  4. Addressing Guidelines Canada Post. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Quebec (QC) - Facts, Flags and Symbols Government of Canada. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  6. Seigneurial System The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  7. Résolution de l'Assebmblée Nationale du Québec October 30, 2003. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  8. Résolution de l'Assemblée Nationale du Québec Parliament of Canada, November 30, 2006. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  9. Recognition of the Québec Nation Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes. Retrieved September 12, 2022.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Courville, Serge, and Richard Howard. Quebec: a historical geography. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2008. ISBN 077481425X
  • Fowler, William M. Empires at war the French and Indian War and the struggle for North America, 1754 - 1763. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2006. ISBN 978-0802777379
  • Oakes, Leigh, and Jane Warren. Language, citizenship and identity in Quebec. Language and globalization. Basingstoke [England]: Palgrave Macmillian, 2007. ISBN 978-1403949752
  • Parkman, Francis. The Parkman reader; from the works of Francis Parkman. Boston: Little, Brown, 1955. ASIN B0006AU50E

External links

All links retrieved December 7, 2022.

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