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| − | {{Infobox Province or territory of Canada
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| − | | Name = Québec<!--official form in French—>
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| − | | AlternateName = Quebec<!--official form in English; see note:—><small><ref name="EFname">According to the Canadian government, '''Québec''' (with the acute accent) is the official form in French and '''Quebec''' (without the accent) is the province's official name in 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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| − | | Flag = Flag of Quebec.svg
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| − | | EntityAdjective = Provincial
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| − | | CoatOfArms = Armes du Québec.svg
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| − | | Map = Quebec-map.png
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| − | | Label_map = no
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| − | | Motto = ''Je me souviens'' (French: I remember)
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| − | | OfficialLang = French
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| − | | Flower = Blue Flag Iris
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| − | | Tree = Yellow Birch
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| − | | Bird = Snowy Owl
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| − | | Capital = Quebec City
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| − | | LargestCity = Montreal
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| − | | Language = French
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| − | | Gentilic = Quebecer, Quebecker, ''French:'' Québécois
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| − | | Premier = Jean Charest
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| − | | PremierParty = PLQ
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| − | | Viceroy = Pierre Duchesne
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| − | | ViceroyType = Lieutenant-Governor
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| − | | 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 KiB<!-- application/pdf, 337485 bytes —>}} from Canada Post</ref>
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| − | | PostalCodePrefix = G, H, J
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| − | | AreaRank = 2<sup>nd</sup>
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| − | | TotalArea_km2 = 1542056
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| − | | LandArea_km2 = 1183128
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| − | | WaterArea_km2 = 176928
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| − | | PercentWater = 11.5
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| − | | PopulationRank = 2<sup>nd</sup>
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| − | | Population = 7,546,131
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| − | | PopulationYear = 2006
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| − | | DensityRank = 5<sup>th</sup>
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| − | | Density_km2 = 4.90
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| − | | GDP_year = 2005
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| − | | GDP_total = $274.863 billion
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| − | | GDP_rank = 2<sup>nd</sup>
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| − | | GDP_per_capita = $36,175
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| − | | GDP_per_capita_rank = 9<sup>th</sup>
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| − | | AdmittanceOrder = 1<sup>st</sup>
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| − | | AdmittanceDate = July 1, 1867
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| − | | Nationalday = June 24
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| − | | TimeZone = UTC-5, -4
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| − | | HouseSeats = 75
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| − | | SenateSeats = 24
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| − | | ISOCode = CA-QC
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| − | | Website = www.gouv.qc.ca
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| − | | Patron Saint = St. John The Baptist
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| − | }}
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| − | '''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 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]].
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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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| − | 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.
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| − | 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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| − | == Geography ==
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| − | ===Territory===
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| − | [[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 [[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.
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| − | 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]].
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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.
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| − | The northern region of [[Nunavut]] 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 and on the Manicouagan River, north of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
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| − | ===Climate===
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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 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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| − | 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.
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| − | 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]].
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| − | ==History==
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| − | {{main|History of Quebec}}
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| − | ===First Nations: before 1500===
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| − | At the time of first European contact and later colonization, [[Algonquian]], [[Iroquois]], 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 [[nomad]]ic lives based on [[Hunter-gatherer|hunting, gathering]], and [[fishing]] in the rugged terrain of the [[Canadian Shield]]: (James Bay Cree, Innu, Algonquins) and [[Appalachian Mountains]] (Mi'kmaq, Abenaki). 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 Bays. These peoples traded fur and [[food]] and sometimes warred with each other.
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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.
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| − | ===Early European exploration: 1500===
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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.
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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|225px|left|thumb|"Canoe Manned by Voyageurs Passing a Waterfall" by Frances Anne Hopkins]]
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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.
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| − | After 1627, King [[Louis XIII]] of France introduced the seigneurial system and forbade settlement in New France 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.
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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 diseases; 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.
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| − | ===Conquest of New France===
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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 [[Great Britain|British]] mounted an attack on New France by sea and took the French fort at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia.
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| − | In 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 Great Britain in 1763.
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| − | 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.
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| − | 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.
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| − | ===The Rebellion===
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| − | 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.
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| − | 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.
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| − | 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, elections, and law. In 1848, reformers returned the French language to legal status.
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| − | === Canadian Confederation ===
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| − | 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.
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| − | 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.
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| − | 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.
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| − | ===The 'Quiet Revolution'===
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| − | 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.
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| − | 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.
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| − | 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.
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| − | ===A constitutional crisis===
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| − | 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.
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| − | 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.
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| − | 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).
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| − | 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% to 49.4%); a clear majority of French-speaking Quebecers had voted in favor of sovereignty.
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| − | 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.
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| − | 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 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 [[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 97740 bytes —>}}</ref>
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| − | On November 27 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>[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.
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| − | == Government and politics ==
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| − | The lieutenant governor represents [[Queen Elizabeth II]] 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.
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| − | 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.
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| − | === Metropolitan areas by population ===
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| − | {| class="wikitable"
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| − | !Census<br/>metropolitan<br/>area
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| − | !2006 pop.
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| − | !2001 pop.¹
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| − | ![[Regions of Quebec|Region]]²
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| − | !Image
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| − | |-
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| − | |[[Montreal]]
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| − | |3,635,571
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| − | |3,451,027
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| − | |Montréal
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| − | |[[Image:Mont.jpg|180px]]
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| − | |-
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| − | |[[Quebec City]] <br/>(provincial capital)
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| − | |715,515
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| − | |686,569
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| − | |Capitale-Nationale
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| − | |[[Image:Quebec city view 2005-02-14.JPG|center|180px|]]
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| − | |-
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| − | |Gatineau³
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| − | |283,959
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| − | |261,704
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| − | |Outaouais
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| − | |[[Image:Gatineau-qc.jpg|center|180px|]]
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| − | |-
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| − | |Sherbrooke
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| − | |186,952
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| − | |175,950
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| − | |Estrie
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| − | |[[Image:Sherbrooke.jpg|center|180px|]]
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| − | |-
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| − | |Saguenay
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| − | |151,643
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| − | |154,938
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| − | |Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
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| − | |[[Image:Chicoutimi.JPG|center|180px|]]
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| − | |-
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| − | |Trois-Rivières
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| − | |141,529
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| − | |137,507
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| − | |Mauricie
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| − | |[[Image:Trois-Rivières Des Forges.JPG|center|180px|]]
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| − | |}
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| − | 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]
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| − | ¹These figures are adjusted to reflect boundary changes for the 2006 census.
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| − | ²Where a metropolitan area straddles more than one administrative region, the region of the central municipality is given.
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| − | 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).
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| − | ==Economy==
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| − | [[Image:Montreal Twilight Panorama 2006.jpg|thumb|center|590px|[[Montreal]], North America's Francophone metropolis]]
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| − | <p>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]].</p>
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| − | 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.
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| − | 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.
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| − | [[Image:Château Frontenac.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Château Frontenac, the world's most photographed [[hotel]], is iconic to the province of Quebec.]]
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| − | [[Tourism]] is another important industry in Quebec, drawing an estimated 27.5 million people annually who spend approximately C$6.7 billion.
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| − | ==Demographics==
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| − | At 1.65 in 2007, Quebec's [[fertility rate]] is slightly above the Canada-wide rate of 1.59<ref>http://communiques.gouv.qc.ca/gouvqc/communiques/GPQF/Juin2008/03/c7737.html</ref> but 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.
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| − | In 2001, 80.4 percent of Quebecers lived in urban areas.
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| − | ===Aboriginals===
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| − | The 2006 census counted a total aboriginal population of 108,425 (1.5%) including 65,085 [[indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous peoples]] (0.9%), 27,985 Métis (0.4%), and 10,950 [[Inuit]] (0.15%). It should be noted however, that many of the biggest Indian bands regularly refuse to participate in Canadian censuses for political reasons regarding the question of aboriginal sovereignty. {Percentages are calculated as a proportion of the total number of respondents.}<ref>[http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/aboriginal/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=PR&Code1=24&Geo2=PR&Code2=01&Data=Count&SearchText=Quebec&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=&GeoCode=24 Aboriginal Population Profile (2006 Census)]</ref>
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| − |
| |
| − | ===Ethnic origins===
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| − | {| class="wikitable" align="right"
| |
| − | |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
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| − | !Ethnic origin
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| − | !Population
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| − | !Percent
| |
| − | |-
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| − | |"Canadian"
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| − | |4,897,475
| |
| − | |68.73%
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| − | |-
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| − | |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 2001 Canadian census. The percentages add up to more than 100% because of dual responses (e.g., "French-Canadian" generates an entry in both the category "French" and the category "Canadian".)
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| − |
| |
| − | ===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.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | There are some 4,000 places of worship in Quebec City alone; hence, it is known as the city of churches.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | The breakdown of the population is as follows:
| |
| − | * 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===
| |
| − | 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.
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| − |
| |
| − | 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 has dropped significantly during the past forty years (from 13.8 percent in 1951 to just 8 percent in 2001) due to a net emigration to other Canadian provinces. This decline will likely continue in the near future.
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| − |
| |
| − | ==Education==
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| − |
| |
| − | [[Image:Quebecois flag.jpg|thumbnail|250px|The '''Fleurdelisé''' leads a ship to harbor near Quebec City.]]
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| − | 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.
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| − |
| |
| − | ===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.
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| − |
| |
| − | 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.
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| − |
| |
| − | 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.
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| − |
| |
| − | ===Private schools===
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| − |
| |
| − | 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.
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| − |
| |
| − | 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.
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| − |
| |
| − | ==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.
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| − |
| |
| − | ===Universities===
| |
| − |
| |
| − | Primary school, secondary school, and CEGEP add up to 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.
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| − |
| |
| − | ==Culture==
| |
| − | 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.
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| − |
| |
| − | 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]].
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| − |
| |
| − | 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.
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| − |
| |
| − | 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.
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| − | ===Music===
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| − | 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.
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| − |
| |
| − | ==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.<ref>[http://www.mcgill.ca/reporter/33/06/francophone/ ''What constitutes a francophone?''] by Anna Bratulic, ''McGill Reporter''</ref>
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| − |
| |
| − | 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. <ref>[http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761551789_6/Quebec.html Quebec entry] in Encarta</ref> 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.
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| − |
| |
| − | == Notes ==
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| − | {{reflist}}
| |
| − |
| |
| − | == External links ==
| |
| − | * {{en icon}} [http://www.gouv.qc.ca/portail/quebec/pgs?lang=en Government of Quebec]
| |
| − | * {{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}} [http://www.bonjourquebec.com/ Bonjour Québec], Quebec government official tourist site
| |
| − | * {{en icon}} [http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/bill101/ Laws to protect the endangered French languages]
| |
| − | * {{en icon}} [http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-73-651/politics_economy/quebec_elections/ CBC Digital Archives - Quebec Elections: 1960-1998]
| |
| − | * {{fr icon}} [http://www.agora.qc.ca/ Agora], online encyclopaedia from Quebec
| |
| − | * {{en icon}} {{wikitravel}}
| |
| − | *[http://www.meq.gouv.qc.ca/GR-PUB/m_englis.htm Quebec Ministry of Education]
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| − |
| |
| − | '''History:'''
| |
| − | * {{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
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| − |
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| − | {{credit|137785977}}
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| − |
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| − | [[Category:Geography]]
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| − | [[Category:North America]]
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