Quebec is the largest province in Canada in terms of area and the second largest province in terms of population. It used to be called Lower Canada. It is the largest province in Canada in terms of area and also the one with the largest proportion of French-speaking population. Of the 7.5 million inhabitants, who are called Quebeckers (French: Québéquois), the majority are French-speaking native speakers. It is the only province in North America where this is the case.
North
Baie-James · Duplessis · Manicouagan · Nunavik ·
Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean
Southwest
Regions that lie west of the St.
Lawrence River.
Abitibi-Témiscamingue · Charlevoix · Lanaudière ·
Laurentides · Laval · Mauricie ·
Montreal · Gatineau ·
Quebec
Southeast
Regions that lie east of the St. Lawrence River.
Bas-Saint-Laurent · Cantons-de-l'Est · Centre-du-Quebec ·
Chaudière-Appalaches · Gaspésie · Îles-de-la-Madeleine · Longueuil ·
Montérégie
Montréal
Ville de Quebec - capital of the province
Gatineau -
sister city of Ottawa on the river of the same name, parts of the
federal government are located here.
Trois-Rivières - halfway between
Montreal and the city of Quebec
Rimouski, Rivière-du-Loup - on the
eastern bank of the lower reaches of the Saint Lawrence River
Saguenay - the city lies on the Saguenay River on its way into the Saint
Lawrence River.
Mont-Tremblant - the most important ski resort in the Laurentian Mountains
The national language in the province of Quebec is French. French and English are spoken in all institutions under the control of the federal government (Canada). A large part of the population in Montreal speaks English. Both languages are used in the tourism industry. So you can 'survive' very well with English, especially as a tourist. If you use a few phrases in French (greeting, thanking, etc.) you will be able to enjoy the hospitality of the Quebecers. Canada is supposed to be officially bilingual, but it is only bilingual in some areas of the country and in Quebec.
By plane
Montreal-Trudeau Airport is Canada's second busiest, with
direct flights from many European cities. Most visitors to Quebec will
land here.
Other airports are in Quebec and Mont-Tremblant, with
only regional connections. The far west of the province may be best
reached via Ottawa.
You can only really get around with a car. There are also
long-distance buses between the larger cities. The rail network is
limited to the Quebec-Montreal-Ottawa/Toronto route.
If you want
to cross the St. Lawrence River by car, there are bridges to the city of
Quebec. After that, there are only ferries to the Atlantic:
Traverse Rivière-du-Loup – Saint-Siméon. The ferry holds 100 cars and
crosses the river in 65 minutes. Departures four times a day in
midsummer. The departure point in Rivière-du-Loup is Rue Hayward, in
Saint-Siméon the ferry lands near Rue du Quai. Price: $45 per car plus
$19 per person (children 7-12 years $12.70, seniors $17.20; as of summer
2015).
Another ferry, with similar fares, runs further east,
between Trois-Pistoles and Les Escoumins.
1 Gatineau Park . Natural park with countless activities.
2 Parc
national de Miguasha (Miguasha National Park) . The smallest of the
natural parks in this province. Since 1999 it has been a UNESCO World
Heritage Site because of its fossil finds.
Camping in the various national parks
Whale watching in the St.
Lawrence River and in the Gaspésie
Watching moose and wolves with a
nature guide in Jacques Cartier Park
Skiing (downhill and
cross-country) in the various parks, ski resorts
Dog sledding
Winter carnival in Quebec City
Maple syrup season in spring
Watching wild geese in spring and autumn on the banks of the St.
Lawrence River in the Quebec area
Music festival in early July in
Quebec City
Jazz festival in Montreal
'l'été indien' Indian summer
- late September early October, a unique natural spectacle
If you want to buy French books, you can look out for branches of the Renaud Bray chain in Quebec, which are always very well stocked. An alternative is the Archambault chain, which offers not only books but also recorded music and other media. When it comes to videos and DVDs, however, you have to keep in mind that they usually cannot be played on European devices due to the region code and the color format.
Quebec's cuisine derives its variety of flavours from a mixture of
influences. It has a solid French base and is enriched by the
contributions of the indigenous peoples and other cultural communities
that have made their home in the province. This mixture of culinary
cultures makes Quebec cuisine what it is today.
It is worth
looking out for restaurants in Quebec that serve Canadian or French
cuisine and offer multi-course meals at a fixed price ("table d'hôte").
Travellers who are used to eating just a little at lunch and a more
substantial meal in the evening can save a lot of money if they change
their diet for the duration of their trip and move the main meal to
midday. The good and elegant restaurants usually have lunch options that
are significantly cheaper than the evening menu. Be careful, diner does
not mean dinner in Canadian French, but lunch; you often see the term
midi on menus. Dinner is called souper. Table d'hote are special meals
at a fixed price. Food is quite expensive in Quebec, even simpler cafes
or bars are expensive. The cafe culture in Quebec is like most European
countries, so it should be very easy to find a quaint cafe around the
Marche Champlain or around the castle.
Many delicatessens and
markets offer a wide selection of cheeses from local farms. Specialties
of the region are brie or camembert-like cheeses made with raw milk
(lait cru). These cheeses have flavors and textures not normally found
in North American cheeses of the same type.
Maple syrup is the
thickened sap of the sugar maple tree. The sap (30-50 liters of sap are
needed for one liter of syrup) is collected, then boiled down to maple
syrup and traditionally used to sweeten many foods. It is also eaten
with ham, sausages, and savory items. One of Quebec's culinary
traditions is the sugar shack (French: cabane à sucre), where maple
products are eaten as part of Quebec folklore. In early spring, in March
and April, people go in groups, similar to the kale trips in northern
Germany. A variety of dishes with maple syrup are offered, from bacon to
pies to desserts, everything is sweetened. Sweet maple wine or maple
beer is drunk with it. Most sugar shacks sell their maple products on
site (maple butter, taffies and syrup) at reasonable prices. If you want
to participate, it is a good idea to reserve in advance. Some sugar
shacks are open all year round.
Sucrerie de la Montagne, 300 Chemin
Saint-Georges, Rigaud, QC J0P 1P0 (about 1 hour's drive from Montreal).
Tel.: +1 450-451-0831. Maple syrup farm with shop, restaurant with syrup
menus, accommodation options. You can find out about the production and
culinary possibilities of the syrup. The main season is February to
April, when there are many events. Open: daily 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Poutine is French fries with cheese curds and gravy. If you want to
try this calorie bomb, you should go ahead and do so, even if the
European prejudice that this dish is actually inedible may be confirmed.
Tourtière québecoise is a type of meat pie, typical of the
Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region. It consists of various types of meat
(mostly beef and pork, often game, cut into small cubes) and diced
potatoes, which are baked together in a casserole dish.
In
spring, the very fine-tasting tips of the ostrich fern (Matteuccia
struthiopteris) are eaten as wild vegetables for a few weeks. In English
they are called fiddleheads, the twisted fern tips look like the heads
of violins. You can find them on French menus under Tête de violon. You
can buy them frozen all year round. They must be boiled for 15 minutes
before consumption; they should not be eaten raw.
The legal minimum age for drinking alcohol in public in Quebec is 18.
It is more respectful to address the French-speaking citizens of
Quebec as Quebecers (m. Québécois, f. Québécoise) rather than
French-Canadians. Most francophone citizens of Quebec feel more like
Québécois than Canadians. Québec is not France, many prefer to be called
"francophone" (which refers only to the French language) rather than
"French" (which is ambiguous since one could derive a national
citizenship from French). Anglophones are not offended by being called
Canadians, they consider themselves both.
Postal codes for Québec
begin with G (Québec City and eastern Québec), H (Montréal and Laval)
and J (western Québec). H0H 0H0 are reserved seasonally.
Quebec is generally a safe area, with the possible exception of a few
unsafe areas of Montreal and Quebec City. Visitors should use common
sense when traveling, as they would any other area, lock cars and keep
an eye on valuables.
In winter and spring, make sure rental cars
are equipped with snow tires.
Prehistory and Indigenous Peoples
The history of Quebec begins
long before European arrival, with human presence dating back to the
Paleo-Indian period around 10,000 BCE. The territory, part of what is
now eastern Canada, was initially inhabited by groups who migrated from
Asia across the Bering land bridge between 20,000 and 14,000 years ago.
As the Laurentide Ice Sheet receded around 11,000–10,000 years ago,
these early inhabitants, including Clovis culture peoples, adapted to
the emerging landscapes. Archaeological sites reveal tools and evidence
of hunting large game like mammoths and caribou.
The Archaic era
(8000–1500 BCE) marked a shift to more settled lifestyles, with
populations developing seasonal migrations for hunting, fishing, and
gathering. Innovations included polished stone tools such as knives,
awls, fish hooks, and nets, which supported population growth and a
diverse diet incorporating berries, nuts, and small game.
By the
Woodland era (1500 BCE–1500 CE), agriculture emerged, particularly among
Iroquoian groups in the Saint Lawrence River valley. Corn, beans,
squash, and sunflowers were cultivated starting experimentally in the
8th century and mastered by the 14th. Villages grew larger, with
longhouses and palisades for defense. At the time of European contact in
the 1500s, Quebec was home to about 11 First Nations groups, including
Algonquian-speaking peoples (e.g., Innu, Algonquin) and
Iroquoian-speaking ones (e.g., Huron-Wendat, Mohawk). The Inuit
inhabited Nunavik in the north. These societies had distinct languages,
economies based on trade, hunting, and farming, and spiritual beliefs
tied to nature. Oral traditions preserved history, as most lacked
written systems. Intertribal conflicts, such as the Beaver Wars (early
1600s–early 1700s), involving Iroquois expansion for fur trade
dominance, reshaped alliances and territories.
European
Exploration and Early Colonization (1500s–1608)
European interest in
the region intensified in the 15th century due to disrupted trade routes
after the fall of the Byzantine Empire. Spanish, Portuguese, English,
and French explorers sought a Northwest Passage to Asia. Basque and
Breton fishermen frequented the Gulf of St. Lawrence from the early
1500s, trading metal goods for furs with Indigenous peoples. In 1508,
Thomas Aubert brought the first known Indigenous people to France from
Newfoundland.
French King Francis I sponsored Giovanni da Verrazzano
in 1524, who named the area "New France." Jacques Cartier's voyages were
pivotal: in 1534, he claimed the Gaspé Peninsula for France by planting
a cross; in 1535, he navigated the St. Lawrence to Stadacona (near
modern Quebec City) and Hochelaga (near Montreal), adopting the
Iroquoian word "Canada" for the region. Mistaking quartz and pyrite for
diamonds and gold, Cartier returned with Indigenous captives, including
chief Donnacona, whose stories of the mythical Kingdom of Saguenay
fueled further interest. A 1541 expedition led by Jean-François de La
Rocque de Roberval established Charlesbourg-Royal, the first French
settlement, but it failed due to harsh winters and scurvy.
Interest
waned until the late 16th century, when fur trade revived exploration.
Permanent posts like Tadoussac (1600) were established. Samuel de
Champlain's 1603 voyage forged alliances with Innu, Wolastoqiyik, and
Mi'kmaq against the Iroquois, aiding the French in the Beaver Wars.
New France: Growth and Conflicts (1608–1763)
Champlain founded
Quebec City in 1608 as a fur trading outpost, building a fortified
Habitation. Early years were marked by starvation, disease, and
Indigenous alliances. Agriculture began with settlers like Louis Hébert
and Marie Rollet in 1616. Exploration expanded: coureurs des bois
ventured into the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, Ohio, Mississippi,
Saskatchewan, and Missouri rivers, establishing forts.
Administration
evolved through companies: Compagnie de Rouen (1612), de Montmorency
(1621), and des Cent-Associés (1627), which introduced the seigneurial
system (land grants to seigneurs who subdivided for habitants), the
Custom of Paris legal code, and Catholic exclusivity. The Church,
receiving 30% of lands, played a central role. Quebec fell to English
forces in 1629 but was returned in 1632. In 1663, New France became a
royal province under Louis XIV, with a Sovereign Council,
governor-general, intendant, and bishop. Jean Talon's policies as
intendant (1665–1672) boosted population from 3,215 to 6,700 through
immigration, including 800 filles du roi (King's Daughters).
Settlements grew: Trois-Rivières (1634) and Montreal (1642). Heroes like
Adam Dollard des Ormeaux (defending against Iroquois in 1660) and the
Canadian Martyrs (Jesuit missionaries killed 1642–1649) became legends.
The Carignan-Salières Regiment (1665) fortified against Iroquois
threats. By 1700, population reached 20,000, focused on farming, fur,
and cod fishing. The Great Peace of Montreal (1701) ended the Beaver
Wars.
Intercolonial wars with Britain included King William's War
(1688–1697), Queen Anne's War (1702–1713, losing Acadia), and King
George's War (1744–1748). Territory expanded to Louisiana (1701) and the
Rockies (1742). The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) culminated in British
victories: Louisbourg (1758), Plains of Abraham (1759, deaths of
generals Wolfe and Montcalm), and Montreal's surrender (1760). The
Treaty of Paris (1763) ceded New France to Britain.
British Rule
and the Province of Quebec (1763–1791)
Under Governor James Murray,
British rule initially retained French customs to ease transition. The
Royal Proclamation (1763) created the Province of Quebec, incorporating
former districts. The Quebec Act (1774) restored French civil law for
private matters, guaranteed Catholic practice, and expanded boundaries
to include the Ohio Valley, securing French-Canadian loyalty amid
American unrest.
The American Revolutionary War saw an invasion
(1775): Americans captured Montreal but failed at Quebec City, where
Richard Montgomery died. British forces, aided by Hessian mercenaries,
repelled them in 1776. Quebec raised loyalist regiments. The Treaty of
Paris (1783) reduced Quebec's territory, ceding southwest lands to the
U.S., and prompted Loyalist resettlement in what became Ontario.
Lower Canada: Tensions and Rebellions (1791–1840)
The Constitutional
Act (1791) divided Quebec into Upper Canada (English-dominated) and
Lower Canada (French-majority), each with elected assemblies. In Lower
Canada, the Parti canadien (later Patriotes), led by francophone
professionals, clashed with the appointed Chateau Clique over reforms.
The War of 1812 featured victories like Chateauguay (1813) by
Charles-Michel de Salaberry. Immigration from Britain and Ireland
increased. The Rebellions of 1837–1838 erupted over denied reforms:
Patriotes under Louis-Joseph Papineau presented 92 Resolutions (1834);
Britain's rejection led to uprisings. Wins at Saint-Denis contrasted
with defeats at Saint-Charles and Saint-Eustache. A Declaration of
Independence (1838) sought democratic rights. Martial law followed; 850
arrested, 12 hanged, 58 exiled. Lord Durham's Report (1839) recommended
union and assimilation.
Province of Canada: Union and Path to
Confederation (1840–1867)
The Act of Union (1840) merged the Canadas
into the Province of Canada, with Canada East (former Lower Canada)
underrepresented despite larger population, sparking "Rep by Pop"
debates. Responsible government emerged in 1848 under Baldwin-La
Fontaine. The seigneurial system ended (1854), railways expanded, and
the Reciprocity Treaty (1854) boosted trade.
Montreal grew as a hub;
emigration to the U.S. (Grande Hémorragie, 900,000 from 1840–1930)
addressed land shortages. François-Xavier Garneau's histories preserved
French-Canadian identity. The Civil Code (1866) codified laws. The Great
Coalition (1864) led to Confederation in 1867, with Quebec as a
province; George-Étienne Cartier was instrumental.
Early
Provincial Era and Industrialization (1867–1914)
Quebec's first
premier, Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau, oversaw a French-Canadian
majority (peaking at 80.2% in 1881). Montreal industrialized, growing
from 9,000 (1800) to 528,000 (1911), with innovations like electricity
and streetcars. The Catholic Church dominated education and welfare;
nuns managed institutions.
Politics featured Honoré Mercier's Parti
National (1886) protesting Louis Riel's execution (1885). Wilfrid
Laurier became Canada's first French prime minister (1896–1911). Henri
Bourassa opposed imperialism. Boundaries expanded in 1898 and 1912,
adding Rupert's Land and Ungava. Overpopulation spurred northern
colonization; pulp and paper industries grew.
World Wars,
Depression, and the Grande Noirceur (1914–1959)
World War I saw
reluctant French-Canadian participation; the 1917 Conscription Crisis
sparked riots in Quebec (1918). The Great Depression (1929) caused 30%
unemployment. Maurice Duplessis's Union Nationale (1936–1939, 1944–1959)
emphasized rural conservatism, anti-union policies, and church ties—the
"Grande Noirceur" era.
World War II brought prosperity but another
conscription crisis (1944). The Asbestos Strike (1949) highlighted labor
rights. Cultural resistance emerged with Refus global (1948) by artists
like Paul-Émile Borduas.
Quiet Revolution and Sovereignty
Movement (1960–1999)
The Quiet Revolution under Liberal Jean Lesage
(1960–1966) modernized Quebec: education secularized, Hydro-Québec
nationalized, welfare expanded. Slogan: "Maîtres chez nous." Secularism
reduced church influence; universities grew.
The sovereignty movement
intensified: René Lévesque founded the Parti Québécois (1968). Expo 67
symbolized progress. The October Crisis (1970) involved FLQ kidnappings,
invoking the War Measures Act. Bill 101 (1977) made French the official
language.
Referendums: 1980 rejected sovereignty (59.56% No); 1995
narrowly failed (50.58% No). The 1982 Constitution patriation excluded
Quebec, leading to failed accords (Meech Lake 1987, Charlottetown 1992).
James Bay Project (1973) developed hydro power.
21st Century:
Modern Developments (2000–Present)
Post-1995, focus shifted from
sovereignty. Lucien Bouchard and Bernard Landry led PQ; Jean Charest's
Liberals governed 2003–2012. Pauline Marois became first female premier
(2012–2014). François Legault's CAQ won in 2018 and 2022, emphasizing
nationalism without separation.
Key events: 2017 Quebec City mosque
shooting; Bill 21 (2019) banning religious symbols for public workers;
Bill 96 (2022) strengthening French language laws. COVID-19 (2020–) saw
strict measures. Quebec affirmed as a nation in 2006.
Quebec, Canada's largest province by land area, covers approximately
1,542,056 square kilometers (about 595,391 square miles)—roughly three
times the size of France and nearly one-sixth of Canada's total
territory. It ranks as the second most populous province after Ontario,
with the majority of residents concentrated in the southern regions.
Situated in eastern Canada, Quebec borders Ontario to the west and
southwest, Newfoundland and Labrador to the east, New Brunswick to the
southeast, and Nunavut to the north across Hudson Strait. Its southern
boundary forms an international border with the United States (New York,
Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine). To the north and northwest lie
Hudson Bay and James Bay, while the east opens to the Gulf of St.
Lawrence and the Atlantic Ocean. The province stretches from temperate
southern lowlands to subarctic and arctic zones in the far north,
resulting in a highly diverse landscape shaped by ancient geology and
extensive glaciation during the last Ice Age.
Quebec's terrain is
divided into three main physiographic regions: the St. Lawrence
Lowlands, the Canadian Shield (also called the Laurentian Shield), and
the Appalachian Uplands. These regions strongly influence settlement
patterns, economy, biodiversity, and climate.
Here are the major
physiographic regions:
St. Lawrence Lowlands
This is the smallest
yet most fertile and densely populated region. It forms a narrow, flat
to gently rolling corridor along the St. Lawrence River, stretching from
Montreal to Quebec City and extending toward the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Rich soils from ancient marine and river deposits make it ideal for
agriculture and urban growth. It serves as the economic and cultural
core of the province, home to major cities like Montreal and Quebec
City. The lowlands are bounded by the Laurentian foothills to the north
and the Appalachian uplands to the south. Although they cover only about
1-2% of Quebec's land area, they host over 80% of the population.
Canadian Shield (Laurentian Shield)
This ancient Precambrian rock
formation dominates more than four-fifths of the province (roughly 90%),
extending from about 80 km north of the St. Lawrence Valley all the way
to the Ungava Peninsula in the far north. It consists of rugged
plateaus, exposed bedrock, dense forests, wetlands, and thousands of
lakes. Glaciation has left poor soils but rich mineral deposits and
excellent hydropower potential. The region includes southern forested
hills (the Laurentians), central taiga with stunted conifers, and
northern tundra with permafrost and sparse vegetation. Key features
include Lake Mistassini (the largest natural lake at 2,335 km²), rolling
hills, deep valleys, and the province's highest point, Mount d'Iberville
(1,652 m) in the Torngat Mountains near Labrador. It is sparsely
populated except for mining communities like Val-d'Or and Chibougamau,
and it holds major resources such as iron, gold, and hydroelectric
sites.
Appalachian Uplands
Situated in the southeast, this
region is an extension of the Appalachian Mountains, running from the
Gaspé Peninsula to the U.S. border. It features forested hills,
plateaus, and valleys with elevations reaching up to about 1,000 m. Less
rugged than the Rockies, it shows signs of ancient mountain-building
followed by erosion. It includes offshore islands such as Anticosti
(7,941 km², famous for its limestone fossils) and the Magdalen Islands
in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Highlights include the Chic-Choc Mountains
in Gaspésie (peaking at 1,268 m at Mont Jacques-Cartier), undulating
terrain, arable plateaus, and dramatic coastal cliffs. The area supports
forestry, tourism, and limited agriculture.
Quebec is
exceptionally rich in water resources, with over one million lakes and
rivers covering about 12% of its surface. The St. Lawrence River,
spanning 1,197 km through the province, is a vital artery for
navigation, fisheries, and hydropower, fed by major tributaries like the
Ottawa, Richelieu, Saguenay, and Saint-Maurice. Notable lakes include
Lake Mistassini and large reservoirs such as Caniapiscau (4,318 km²) and
Manicouagan (1,942 km², formed in a meteor crater). The province's
13,000 km of coastline features fjords (e.g., Saguenay Fjord), bays
(e.g., Ungava Bay), and diverse marine ecosystems supporting whales,
seals, and fisheries.
The climate ranges from humid continental in
the south (warm summers up to 30°C, cold winters down to -20°C) to
subarctic and arctic conditions northward, with long severe winters,
short summers, and snow cover lasting 4-8 months. Precipitation varies
from 800-1,200 mm annually in the south. Ecoregions transition from
mixed forests in the lowlands to boreal taiga, tundra, and
permafrost-dominated landscapes in the north. Forests cover about 50% of
the land, supporting lumber industries, while wildlife includes moose,
black bears, caribou, polar bears (in the far north), and abundant
migratory birds.
Natural resources drive much of the economy: mining
(gold, iron, zinc) in the Shield, massive hydroelectric projects (e.g.,
James Bay, supplying a large share of Canada's electricity), forestry,
and agriculture (dairy and grains) in the lowlands. Tourism flourishes
in places like the Laurentians for skiing and Gaspésie for coastal
scenery. Challenges include deforestation, mining impacts, and climate
change effects such as permafrost thaw and coastal erosion.