City of Quebec: population, climate, interesting places

The city of Quebec is the capital of the homonymous province of Canada. Once these lands were called New France, and to this day they are the French-speaking part of the country. Those who wish to move here to permanent residence should learn not only English, but also French.

New France

This name was inherent in the territory of North America, owned by France from 1534 to 1763. Although in 1534 Cartier declared Canada the property of the French Crown, the real colonization began in 1604, and in 1605 Samuel de Champlain founded the first city of Port Royal.

In 1608, he founded the city of Quebec, which became the main center of New France in Canada. The history of this area began with the fact that King Henry 4 gave the right to trade in furs in Canada to merchants from Rouen.

It was they who appointed Samuel de Champlain as their representative for negotiating and collaborating with the indigenous tribes of the Indians. When the city of Quebec began to be built , the trade in furs began to be conducted in it.

In 1642, Montreal was founded - a port city, which today is the largest in the Canadian province of Quebec. It is the largest province in Canada, occupying almost 17% of its territory. If we compare it with European countries, it occupies an area equal to three of France.

Province of Quebec

Located between the Atlantic Ocean and the province of Ontario, the land of Quebec occupies an area of 1,542,000 km ² . This is the second largest Canadian province. The largest city is Montreal, the capital is Quebec, home to over 700,000 people.

The official language of this area is French, which is considered native to 80% of the population of this area. Its constitutional rights include the following:

• Independently adopt laws on the property and criminal rights of its citizens;
• Independently administer justice;
• To build their own education and health care systems.

With such constitutional freedoms, the separatists that exist here require its separation from Canada. In the referendums held on this issue, by majority of votes the city of Quebec with the entire territory remains in the federation. The main industries developed in this area are aerospace, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, metallurgy and information technology.

Quebec City

Quebec - a city in Canada, which is the economic and administrative center of the province of the same name. The old part of the city is located where it was laid - on a large cliff hanging over the St. Lawrence River.

Jean Cartier, who declared these lands the property of the French crown, gave the cliff the name "diamond" because of the impregnations in the breed of many crystals. Once upon a time, furs trade flourished here for 60 years. Although many farmers stopped cultivating the land and moved into "forest vagrants," as fur hunters called then, furniture, shipbuilding, weaving, and other crafts flourished in Quebec.

Because of the opposition of local Indians, who often attacked the city of Quebec, its population grew very slowly. Only towards the end of the 17th century it began to expand and strengthen, which had a positive effect on the increase in the number of emigrants from France who traveled to Canada in search of a better life.

Today Quebec is a center for the development of high technology, tourism and the administrative center of the country's largest province.

The central part of the city

From the point of view of travelers, although beautiful, but modern Quebec (city) is unremarkable. Interesting places are in its old areas.

The central part of the city became the property of UNESCO, as it is here that preserved granite buildings of the 17-18 centuries. Here is the famous Frontenac Castle, from which you can see the picturesque banks of the St. Lawrence River.

The old part of the city is divided into 2 districts surrounded by a city wall. Bass-Ville is located at the foot of the Cap Diaman Mountain and is an old French-style street full of boutiques and cafes. Once it was a district of merchants and traders.

From Ville with its cobblestone streets and architecture resemble the old European cities. Tourists expect horse carriages, street cafes, an ancient monastery and museums. The center of Ot-Ville occupies a five-pointed fortress, the largest in North America.

No less interesting is the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, built in 1647, and you can stay overnight at the beautiful hotel "Chateau Frontenac", located in the castle, which is a copy of the original, standing in the valley of Laura.

From one area to another you can get to the funicular railway.

Upper Quebec

The decoration of the upper city is the old Chateau Frontenac, which has preserved its former beauty and grandeur to this day. Built in the style of the Gothic Renaissance. Its turrets and walls are visible from anywhere in the city.

The castle is similar to the palace of the fairy princess, and re-equipping it in an extravagant hotel has made this place very popular with tourists. Interior finishes and tapestries are perfectly preserved from the 19th century.

Just behind the hotel there is Duferin's terrace, near which there is a monument to the man who founded Quebec. The city (photos confirm this) remembers and honors the memory of Samuel de Champlain, the first unofficial governor of the province. Residents of Quebec love to look from the terrace to the picturesque banks of the river. No less beautiful in the nearby Governor's Park.

Military Square, executions and public punishments were held on the Army Square earlier. Today there is a museum of the fleet and a monument to Vera, dedicated to the activities of Catholic missionaries in Canada. In the northern part of the square, paintings and crafts are exhibited by local artists and artisans. Nearby cafes and 18th-century buildings resemble Paris of that time.

No less interesting to visit the Anglican Church of the Holy Trinity and the Monastery of Ursulines.

Lower city

If from the terrace Duferin go down the "dizzying ladder", you can get to the lower Quebec. Once here was the first settlement founded by de Champlain. It consisted of several wooden houses and a warehouse where the fur was stored.

In the lower town there is the Montmorency Park and the Royal Square, in which in 1686 the bust of Louis 14 was placed, replaced in our time with a copy of it.

One of the most famous sights of this place is the old Notre-Dame church, built in 1688 in honor of the victories of the French army over the British.

In the museum of antique furniture and utensils you can get acquainted with the life of the inhabitants of the city of the 17-19 centuries. The Museum of Civilization is dedicated to the activities and development of society since the founding of the French colony in Canada.

Citadel

Constructed by the French in 1750, the star-shaped fortress was supposed to protect the few Quebecers still from the British. As the city grew, there was a need to expand the citadel, which was done in 1820 by the British, who were trying to protect the population from the attack of Americans.

Today it houses the most elite military unit in Canada - the 22nd Royal Regiment. In the former gunpowder warehouse is the museum of the famous regiment. Not far from the Citadel are such attractions as the Parliament building, built in the style of the French Renaissance and the Grand Theater of Quebec.

Climate in the province of Quebec

Unique is not only the history of this region or Québec itself (the city). The climate here is no less famous than architectural monuments.

He has sharp temperature changes, a long winter, lasting from September to April, and a short hot summer. It is residents of this province who know the concept of "icy" rain, during which the drops, falling to the ground, turn into "prickly" and sharp ice or small hail.

Also, in winter, the temperature drops from -30 to +8 degrees for several days. No less known are the Quebec winds that blow here at any time of the year. If they soften the exhausting heat in the summer, then it is difficult for them to resist in the winter.

That is why the city authorities allocated funds for the construction of an underground city connected by tunnels to the metro. Now, to go from office to restaurant or shops, you do not need to go through windy Quebec. The city, which hotels are hospitably waiting for travelers all year round, is accessible to tourists underground.

Quebec City Today

Sometimes it is difficult for tourists to understand, Quebec is the city of what country? In English-speaking Canada there is a huge French-speaking territory that has preserved its culture and originality since the colonization of the province from France.

Today, Montreal and Quebec - the two largest cities in this territory - are the concentration of cultural and economic values of these places. On these lands there are mountains, forests, islands and 130,000 water bodies. This resource-rich region was preserved not only for descendants of the colonists, but also for the indigenous population of Canada. In 50 villages located in the province, there are 11 Indian tribes. Each of the villages is a tourist center, where you can stop and "plunge" into the life of the indigenous people.

No less famous are the ornithological reserves of Quebec, where you can observe the life of 270 species of birds.