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Study Guide
Québec, Canada: Country and Culture
Introduction to Québec
Québec is the largest of the ten provinces in Canada, occupying about a sixth of the total
land area of the country. Québec City, founded in 1608, is the capital of Québec and
Canada’s oldest city. Québec is unique in many ways, particularly because of its strong
French cultural influence. While English is the native language of most Canadians in other
provinces, French is the first language of more than 80% of residents in Québec.
Population: 8,054,756
Capital: Québec City
Languages: French and English
Currency: Canadian Dollar
Flag of Québec
History
Algonquian, Iroquois, and Inuit are families of Native Americans whose ancestors first arrived in Québec more than
10,000 years ago. Inhabitants of the area’s northern regions primarily hunted, while those in the south mostly farmed,
growing corn, beans, and squash.
French explorers claimed the region for France and began colonizing “New France” in 1608, when Québec City was
founded. The city of Montréal was founded in 1648 and quickly became influential as the fur trading center of North
America. As the region’s influence grew, its land also expanded west and along the Mississippi Valley into territory
occupied by the British. Conflicts arose between the British and French, and France eventually lost control of the territory
during the French and Indian Wars from 1689 to 1763. The British first took control of Québec City in 1759 and a year
later claimed Montréal. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris officially placed the French inhabitants of the region under British
control, and the province was re-named “Québec.”
The British takeover caused friction with French Canadians living in Québec,
who wanted to continue their own traditions and government. This desire for
independence showed very early in the Québec Act of 1774, which granted
French Canadians the right to practice their Roman Catholic religion and
maintain some traditional French laws even under British rule. Canada gained
independence from Britain in 1867, but the number of English speakers
continued to increase throughout the country, and the Canadian government
now uses two official languages—English and French. Independence from
Canada remains a political issue for some people in Québec even today,
although the province voted against independence in 1980 and 1995. French
Canadians, known as “Québécois,” still hold many unique cultural traditions,
and in 2006, the Canadian government passed a symbolic measure
recognizing Québécois as “a nation within a united Canada.”
Geography and Climate
Québec is divided into three main climate regions: humid continental (with
four distinct seasons) in the South and West, subarctic (with longer, colder
winters and short summers) in central Québec, and arctic (with very cold
winters and cool, short summers) in the North.
Most of Québec is a vast, flat plateau, but the province also has several small
mountain ranges, including the Laurentian Mountains in the south, the Otish
Mountains in central Québec, and the Torngat Mountains in the northeast.
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Study Guide
Québec, Canada: Country and Culture
Ancient glaciers covered the region and left deposits of boulders, gravel, sand, and
clay. These glaciers also carved out thousands of lakes in Québec that today hold
3% of the world’s fresh water.
The Saint Lawrence River is a large river that runs through Québec and also forms
part of the international boundary between Canada and the United States. Because
this river connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, it has long been influential
in the region and has contributed to Québec’s prominence throughout history.
People and Culture
Most of Québec’s population lives in urban areas along the Saint Lawrence River,
and nearly half of the population lives in the city of Montréal. Considered a cultural
center of the province, Montréal is home to French-language television, film, and
music production as well as many performing arts venues. The city’s French Roman
Catholic background is reflected in its architecture, with so many churches that it
has been nicknamed “la ville aux cent clochers” in French, or “the city of a hundred
steeples.”
Château Frontenac in Quebec City on
Saint Lawrence River. Photo by
Jiuguang Wang (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Québec is recognized around the world as a leader in science and technology, with
significant contributions to medical and scientific research as well as industries such
as aerospace, information technology, and software. Its paper industry is also a
major source of income for the province, but Québec is perhaps best known as the
world’s largest producer of maple syrup. Seventy-five percent of the world’s maple
syrup comes from Québec. For many residents of Québec, or “Québeckers,” the
tradition of making maple syrup is associated with family sugar cabins (“cabanes à
sucre”) where sap collected from maple trees is boiled into syrup.
Sugar cabin in Québec, 1895
Food
Though Québec’s cuisine draws heavily on French influence, the need for extra fat
to survive the long Canadian winters has also resulted in unique dishes. In
particular, Québec is known for poutine, which consists of French fries topped with
gravy and melted cheese curds. This dish has become popular throughout Canada
and parts of the United States.
Québec celebrates Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day as an official public holiday on June 24.
The holiday celebrates the patron saint of French Canadians, John the Baptist, but
also has ancient European roots. It marks the summer solstice and is celebrated with
bonfires, fireworks, parades, and concerts.
Resources
Food Republic: Poutine Recipe
www.foodrepublic.com/2011/03/30/poutine-sauce-recipe-french-fries
Quebec’s most famous dish, poutine.
“La Banquise Poutine” by
Yuri Long (CC BY 2.0)
Kidzone: Québec Info and Worksheets
www.kidzone.ws/geography/quebec/
National Geographic Kids: Canada
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/find/canada/
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