Gaspé

Quebec, Canada

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Article History

Gaspé, city, Gaspésie region, eastern Quebec province, Canada. It lies at the mouth of the York River, overlooking Gaspé Bay. The city’s name derives either from the navigator Gaspar Corte-Real, who came there about 1500, or from the Indian gespeg, meaning “end of the world.” Its site was visited in 1534 by the explorer Jacques Cartier, who set up a cross there, claiming the Canadian mainland for the king of France. The fishing port that later developed survived a disastrous attack by the British under General James Wolfe in 1758. While fishing is still important (Gaspé is the site of a provincial fish hatchery), lumbering, tourism, and, more recently, copper and oil production have become the main industries. Gaspé is an eastern terminus of the Canadian National Railway and is the seat of a Roman Catholic diocese. Pop. (2006) 14,819; (2011) 15,163.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.