Quebec, Province, eastern Canada. Area: 595,391 sq mi (1,542,056 sq km). Population: (2021) 8,501,833. Capital: Quebec city. It is bounded on the north by Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay, on the east by the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, on the southeast by the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the province of New Brunswick, on the south by the U.S. (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York), and on the west by Ontario and by Hudson Bay. The original inhabitants were Inuit (see Eskimo) and members of Algonquin, Cree, and other Indian tribes. Settled by the French in the early 17th century, the area was lost to the British in the French and Indian War, but the struggle for authority between the French and British groups led to a rebellion by French Canadians in 1837. The rebellion was quelled, and in 1867 Quebec (formerly Canada East) united with Ontario (formerly Canada West), New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia to form the Dominion of Canada. Most of the population of Quebec is of French descent. Various movements calling for Quebec’s independence from the rest of Canada continued throughout the 20th century; the Parti Québécois won provincial elections in 1976, but its independence referendum was defeated in 1980. A second independence referendum was defeated in 1995 by a close margin. Principal industries include mining, hydroelectric power, and forestry.
