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What Is Québec?

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At the point in which the St. Lawrence and St. Charles rivers meet, lies one of the oldest, yet most beautiful city in North America, Québec City. The name Québec derived from the Algonquin word, Kébec, meaning where the river meets. The city's long history accounts for a wide variety of European architecture, including the castles, stone buildings, and street lined boutiques including restaurants. Québec City has been a great part of North America's history in the past, continues to be a city attracting people around the world, and foreshadows to have a promising future. As the oldest French speaking community in North America, Québec is well known for a diverse culture and a variety of festivals. One such festival is the Québec Winter Carnival, …show more content…

The nomadic lifestyle of the Algonquian's included hunting, gathering, and fishing, which was especially hard due to the rugged terrain of the region that frequently experienced heavy snows in the winter and hot and humid summers. While the Inuits hunted and gathered, the Iroquois used the fertile region of St. Lawrence Valley to grow corn, beans, and squash. (Mi'kmaq, Abenaki) In 1534, Jaques Cartier claimed the land of Gaspé Peninsula in the name of King Francis I. In 1535, Cartier built a fort for the harsh winters before leaving for France. Later, in 1541 Jacques Cartier tried to establish a permanent settlement, but was forced to abandon it due to the rugged weather and hostile Native Americans. However, on January 3, 1603, Samuel de Champlain, a French diplomat, founded Québec on an abandoned Iroquoian settlement near St. Lawrence River. Interestingly, the name "Canada" refers to this establishment which was originally named Stacadona. By 1665, 550 people lived in Québec in 70 houses, and a quarter of the population played a secular role in the society as priests, nuns, and Jesuits. (Riendeau, Roger …show more content…

(Natural Resources Canada). Since the quake, Québec City has only thrived. Currently, the cities' well preserved architecture and beautiful scenery attracts 4.7 million tourists annually. (Québec City and Area) With only a 4.5% unemployment rate, Québec city relies on tourism, maple production, manufacturing, and governmental positions for jobs. (University of Western Ontario) While the maple economy is diminishing, Québec is still the largest maple production area in Canada. (CNW) In addition to a booming economy, Québec City is additionally famous for being a French province. With a population of 536,100 people, 94.5% of the population is French speaking, while 1.46% is English speaking and 34% speak both languages. (Mamrot) While the city is 90% Roman Catholic, the small communities of Protestants, Jewish, and Muslims are

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