Quebec

Quebec, city, capital of the province of Quebec, Canada, in Quebec County, at the confluence of the St Lawrence and Saint-Charles rivers in the southern part of the province. The name of the city is derived from an Algonquian term for “narrowing of the waters”. Most of its inhabitants are French-speaking. Population 169,076 (2001).

It is a major inland seaport, with extensive modern freight-handling facilities, and a commercial, financial, and cultural centre. About 85 per cent of all employment here is concentrated in the service sectors and public administration. Principal products include pulp and paper, processed food, metal and wood items, chemicals, electrical and electronic equipment, and printed materials. Optical research is also important. Quebec is served by major rail lines, trunk roads, and an international airport.

The older part of Quebec is divided into two main areas. Haute-Ville (Upper Town), is set on a rocky promontory called Cape Diamond, and it retains an old European atmosphere. Basse-Ville (Lower Town), which is located on the waterfront, is the economic centre and includes modern areas. The city walls, built between 1823 and 1832, surround much of the old section of Quebec and are dominated by the Citadel, a large fortress. Other points of interest include Dufferin Terrace, a promenade in the Haute-Ville overlooking the river and adjacent to Château Frontenac, a large hotel built in the style of a French château; an Ursuline convent (1641, restored after a fire in 1650); the Church of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires (1688; restored after a fire 1759); the Church of Notre-Dame-de-Québec (1650); an Anglican cathedral (1793); National Battlefields Park, encompassing the Plains of Abraham (site of a great battle in 1759); and the Parliament Buildings (mainly late 19th century). Quebec is the site of Laval University (1852); the National Archives of Quebec; the Quebec Seminary Museum, which contains a collection of Canadian and European painting; the Quebec Museum, with exhibits of Canadian fine art; the Quebec Conservatory of Music (1944); the Grand Théâtre (opened 1971); Musée de la Civilisation; Palais Montcalm (1932, renovated 1992); and the Théâtre Capitole (1903).

A Huron village known as Stadacona occupied the site of present-day Quebec when the French explorer Jacques Cartier visited the area in 1535. The first successful European settlement was established by the navigator Samuel de Champlain, who built a trading post here in 1608. Quebec was captured by the English in 1629, but it was restored to France three years later. When the colony of New France was made a royal province in 1663, Quebec became its capital. English expeditions attempted without success to capture Quebec in 1690 and 1711. In 1759, during the French and Indian War, the settlement was captured by the British, led by General James Wolfe, and under the Treaty of Paris in 1763 it was formally ceded by France to Great Britain. In 1775-1776, during the American War of Independence, American troops under General Richard Montgomery and Colonel Benedict Arnold made an unsuccessful attempt to take the city.

Quebec, which was incorporated in 1833, served as the capital of Lower Canada from 1791 to 1841 and was the capital of the United Provinces of Canada from 1851 to 1855 and from 1859 to 1867. In 1867, when the Dominion of Canada was formed, the city was made the capital of the province of Quebec. During World War II, Quebec was the site of two conferences (1943, 1944) of Allied leaders. The old part of the city was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.