Quebec (/kəˈbɛk/, sometimes /kwəˈbɛk/;[9] French: Québec [kebɛk] (About this soundlisten))[10] is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. The House of Commons of Canada passed a symbolic motion in 2006, in quasi-unanimity, recognizing the “Québécois as a nation within a united Canada”.[11][12]
Quebec is bordered to the west by Ontario, James Bay and Hudson Bay; to the north by Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay; to the east by the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and Newfoundland and Labrador; and to the south by New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. Quebec is Canada’s largest province by area. The climate in the south is four-seasons continental with cold and snowy winters, and hot humid summers. In the north, the winters are long and tundra dominates.[13]
Quebec is the second-most populous province of Canada.[14] Most of its population lives in urban areas near the Saint Lawrence River between Montreal and Quebec City. Approximately half of residents live in the Greater Montreal Area. The Nord-du-Québec region is sparsely populated and mostly inhabited by First Nations.[15]
Quebec is the only province to have a predominantly French-speaking population. The province’s variety of French is called Québécois French and the province possesses 14 regional accents deriving from it.[16] In 2016, 79.1% of residents were francophones, while 8.9% were anglophones and 12% were allophones.[17] Most allophones and anglophones live on the island of Montreal. Altogether, 94.6% of Quebec’s population reported knowledge of French,[18] which is the province’s sole official language.
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