Located in theeastern part of Canada, and (from a historical and political perspective) part ofCentral Canada,Quebec occupies a territory nearly three times the size ofFrance orTexas. It is much closer to the size ofAlaska. As is the case with Alaska, most of the land in Quebec is very sparsely populated.^[1] Itstopography is very different from one region to another due to the varying composition of the ground, the climate (latitude and altitude), and the proximity to water. TheGreat Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands and theAppalachians are the two main topographic regions in southern Quebec, while theCanadian Shield occupies most of central and northern Quebec.^[2]

With an area of 1,542,056 km² (595,391 sq mi), it is thelargest of Canada's provinces and territories and thetenth largest country subdivision in the world.^{[citation needed]} More than 90% of Quebec's area lies within theCanadian Shield, and includes the greater part of theLabrador Peninsula. Quebec's highest mountain isMont D'Iberville, which is located on the border withNewfoundland and Labrador in the northeastern part of the province in theTorngat Mountains. The addition of parts of the vast and scarcely populatedDistrict of Ungava of theNorthwest Territories between 1898 and 1912 gave the province its current form.

The territory of Quebec is extremely rich in resources in itsconiferous forests, lakes, and rivers—pulp and paper, lumber, andhydroelectricity are still some of the province's most important industries.^{[citation needed]} The far north of the province,Nunavik, issubarctic orArctic and is mostly inhabited byInuit.

The most populous region is theSaint Lawrence River valley in the south, where the capital,Quebec City, and the largest city,Montreal, are situated. North of Montreal are theLaurentian Mountains, a range of ancient mountains, and to the east are theAppalachian Mountains which extends into theEastern Townships andGaspésie regions. TheGaspé Peninsula juts into theGulf of Saint Lawrence to the East. The Saint Lawrence River Valley is a fertile agricultural region, producing dairy products, fruit, vegetables,maple sugar (Quebec is the world's largest producer ofmaple syrup^[3]), andlivestock.

Quebec is bordered by the province ofOntario,James Bay andHudson Bay (including the circularNastapoka arc) to the west, the provinces ofNew Brunswick andNewfoundland and Labrador to the east andHudson Strait andUngava Bay to the north. Its northernmost point isCape Wolstenholme. Quebec also shares a land border with four northeast states of the United States (Maine,New Hampshire,New York andVermont) to the south.^[4]

In 1927, the border between the Province of Quebec and theDominion of Newfoundland was delineated by the BritishJudicial Committee of the Privy Council. The government of Quebec does not officially recognize theNewfoundland and Labrador–Quebec border. Aborder dispute remains regarding the ownership ofLabrador.^[5][6] A maritime boundary also exists with the territories ofNunavut,Prince Edward Island andNova Scotia. Quebec has officially more than 12,000 km (7,500 mi) of borders of all types. Half of these are land limits, 12% river limits and 38% marine limits.^[4]

Quebec's highest point at 1,652 m (5,420 ft) is Mont d'Iberville, known in English asMount Caubvick, located on the border withNewfoundland and Labrador in the northeastern part of the province, in theTorngat Mountains.^[7] The most populousphysiographic region is theGreat Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands. It extends northeastward from the southwestern portion of the province along the shores of the Saint Lawrence River to the Quebec City region, limited to the North by theLaurentian Mountains and to the South by theAppalachians. It mainly covers the areas of theCentre-du-Québec,Laval,Montérégie andMontreal, the southern regions of theCapitale-Nationale,Lanaudière,Laurentides,Mauricie. It includesAnticosti Island, theMingan Archipelago,^[8] and other small islands of theGulf of St. Lawrence lowland forestsecoregion.^[9] Its landscape is low-lying and flat, except for isolatedigneous outcrops near Montreal called theMonteregian Hills, formerly covered by the waters ofLake Champlain. The Oka hills also rise from the plain. Geologically, the lowlands formed as arift valley about 100 million years ago and are prone to infrequent but significant earthquakes.^[2] The most recentsedimentary rock layerswere formed as the seabed of the ancientChamplain Sea at the end of thelast ice age about 14,000 years ago.^[10] The combination of rich and easily arable soils and Quebec's relatively warm climate makes this valley the most prolific agricultural area of Quebec province.Mixed forests provide most of Canada's springtimemaple syrup crop. The rural part of the landscape is divided into narrow rectangular tracts of land that extend from the river and date back tosettlement patterns in 17th century New France.

More than 95% of Quebec's territory lies within theCanadian Shield.^[11] It is generally a quite flat and exposed mountainous terrain interspersed with higher points such as theLaurentian Mountains in southern Quebec, theOtish Mountains in central Quebec and theTorngat Mountains nearUngava Bay. The topography of the Shield has been shaped by glaciers from the successive ice ages, which explains the glacial deposits of boulders, gravel and sand, and by sea water and post-glacial lakes that left behind thick deposits of clay in parts of the Shield. The Canadian Shield also has a complex hydrological network of perhaps a million lakes, bogs, streams and rivers. It is rich in the forestry, mineral and hydro-electric resources that are a mainstay of the Quebec economy.Primary industries sustain small cities in regions ofAbitibi-Témiscamingue,Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, andCôte-Nord.

TheLabrador Peninsula is covered by the Laurentian Plateau (orCanadian Shield), dotted with mountains such asOtish Mountains. TheUngava Peninsula is notably composed of D'Youville mountains, Puvirnituq mountains and Pingualuit crater. While low and medium altitude peak from western Quebec to the far north, high altitudes mountains emerge in theCapitale-Nationale region to the extreme east, along its longitude. In theLabrador Peninsula portion of the Shield, the far northern region ofNunavik includes theUngava Peninsula and consists of flatArctictundra inhabited mostly by theInuit. Further south lie thesubarctictaiga of theEastern Canadian Shield taiga ecoregion and theboreal forest of theCentral Canadian Shield forests, wherespruce,fir, andpoplar trees provide raw materials for Quebec'spulp and paper andlumber industries. Although the area is inhabited principally by theCree,Naskapi, andInnuFirst Nations, thousands of temporary workers reside atRadisson to service the massiveJames Bay Hydroelectric Project on theLa Grande andEastmain rivers. The southern portion of the shield extends to theLaurentians, a mountain range just north of theGreat Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands, that attracts local and international tourists to ski hills and lakeside resorts.

TheAppalachian region of Quebec has a narrow strip of ancient mountains along the southeastern border of Quebec. TheAppalachians are actually a huge chain that extends fromAlabama toNewfoundland. In between, it covers in Quebec near 800 km (500 mi), from the Montérégie hills to the Gaspé Peninsula. In western Quebec, the average altitude is about 500 m (1,600 ft), while in the Gaspé Peninsula, the Appalachian peaks (especially the Chic-Choc) are among the highest in Quebec, exceeding 1,000 m (3,300 ft).

Quebec has several notable islands, namely the numerous islands of theHochelaga Archipelago that includes theIsland of Montreal andÎles Laval which make up full or parts of the major cities ofMontreal andLaval.Île d'Orléans nearQuebec City, the sparsely populatedAnticosti Island in the outlet of the Saint Lawrence River, and theMagdalen Islands archipelago in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence are other noteworthy islands.

Quebec has one of the world's largest reserves offresh water,^[12] occupying 12% of its surface.^[13] It has 3% of the world'srenewable fresh water, whereas it has only 0.1% of its population.^[14] More than half a million lakes,^[12] including 30 with an area greater than 250 km² (97 sq mi), and 4,500 rivers^[12] drain into theAtlantic Ocean, through theGulf of Saint Lawrence and theArctic Ocean, byJames,Hudson, andUngava bays. The largest inland body of water is theCaniapiscau Reservoir, created in the realization of theJames Bay Project to producehydroelectric power.Lake Mistassini is the largest natural lake in Quebec.^[15]

TheSaint Lawrence River has some of the world's largest sustaining inland Atlantic ports atMontreal (the province's largest city),Trois-Rivières, andQuebec City (the capital). Its access to the Atlantic Ocean and the interior of North America made it the base of earlyFrench exploration and settlement in the 17th and 18th centuries. Since 1959, theSaint Lawrence Seaway has provided a navigable link between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. Northeast of Quebec City, the river broadens into the world's largestestuary, the feeding site of numerous species of whales, fish, and seabirds.^[16] The river empties into theGulf of Saint Lawrence. This marine environment sustains fisheries and smaller ports in theLower Saint Lawrence (Bas-Saint-Laurent),Lower North Shore (Côte-Nord), andGaspé (Gaspésie) regions of the province. TheSaint Lawrence River with itsestuary forms the basis of Quebec's development through the centuries. Other notable rivers include theAshuapmushuan,Chaudière,Gatineau,Manicouagan,Ottawa,Richelieu,Rupert,Saguenay,Saint-François, andSaint-Maurice.

In general, the climate of Quebec is cold and humid.^[17] The climate of the province is largely determined by its latitude, maritime and elevation influences.^[17] According to theKöppen climate classification, Quebec has three main climate regions.^[17] Southern and western Quebec, including most of the major population centres and areas south of 51^oN, have ahumid continental climate (Köppen climate classificationDfb) with four distinct seasons having warm to occasionally hot and humid summers and often very cold and snowy winters.^[17][18]

The main climatic influences are from western and northern Canada and move eastward, and from the southern and central United States that move northward. Because of the influence of both storm systems from the core of North America and the Atlantic Ocean, precipitation is abundant throughout the year, with most areas receiving more than 1,000 mm (39 in) of precipitation, including over 300 cm (120 in) of snow in many areas.^[19] During the summer, severe weather patterns (such astornadoes and severethunderstorms) occur occasionally.^[20] Most of central Quebec, ranging from 51 to 58 degrees North has asubarctic climate (KöppenDfc).^[17] Winters are long, very cold, and snowy, and among the coldest in eastern Canada, while summers are warm but very short due to the higher latitude and the greater influence of Arctic air masses. Precipitation is also somewhat less than farther south, except at some of the higher elevations. The northern regions of Quebec have anarctic climate (KöppenET), with very cold winters and short, much cooler summers.^[17] The primary influences in this region are the Arctic Ocean currents (such as theLabrador Current) and continental air masses from the High Arctic.

The four calendar seasons in Quebec are spring, summer, autumn and winter, with conditions differing by region. They are then differentiated according to theinsolation, temperature, and precipitation of snow and rain.^[21] In Quebec City, the length of the daily sunshine varies from 8:37 hrs in December to 15:50 hrs in June; the annual variation is much greater (from 4:54 to 19:29 hrs) at the northern tip of the province.^[22] From temperate zones to the northern territories of the Far North, the brightness varies with latitude, as well as theNorthern Lights andmidnight sun.

Quebec is divided into four climatic zones: arctic, subarctic, humid continental and East maritime. From south to north, average temperatures range in summer between 25 and 5 °C (77 and 41 °F) and, in winter, between −10 and −25 °C (14 and −13 °F).^[23][24] In periods of intense heat and cold, temperatures can reach 35 °C (95 °F) in the summer^[25] and −40 °C (−40 °F) during the Quebec winter,^[25] They may vary depending on theHumidex orWind chill. The all time record high was 40.0 °C (104.0 °F) and the all time record low was −51.0 °C (−59.8 °F).^[26]

The all-time record of the greatest precipitation in winter was established in winter 2007–2008, with more than five metres^[27] of snow in the area of Quebec City, while the average amount received per winter is around three metres.^[28] March 1971, however, saw the "Century's Snowstorm" with more than 40 cm (16 in) in Montreal to 80 cm (31 in) inMont Apica of snow within 24 hours in many regions of southern Quebec. Also, the winter of 2010 was the warmest and driest recorded in more than 60 years.^[29]

The province is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. The birdlife is diverse including wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo),^[56] yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) and loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus).

The large land wildlife is mainly composed of thewhite-tailed deer, themoose, themuskox, thecaribou (reindeer), theAmerican black bear and thepolar bear. The medium-sized land wildlife includes thecougar, thecoyote, theeastern wolf, thebobcat, theArctic fox, the fox, etc. The small animals seen most commonly include theeastern grey squirrel, thesnowshoe hare, thegroundhog, theskunk, theraccoon, thechipmunk and theCanadian beaver.

Biodiversity of the estuary and gulf ofSaint Lawrence River^[57] consists of an aquatic mammal wildlife, of which most goes upriver through the estuary and theSaguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park until theÎle d'Orléans (French for Orleans Island), such as theblue whale, thebeluga, theminke whale and theharp seal (earless seal). Among the Nordic marine animals, there are two particularly important to cite: thewalrus and thenarwhal.^[58]

Inland waters are populated by small to large fresh water fish, such as thelargemouth bass, theAmerican pickerel, thewalleye, theAcipenser oxyrinchus, themuskellunge, theAtlantic cod, theArctic char, thebrook trout, theMicrogadus tomcod (tomcod), theAtlantic salmon, therainbow trout, etc.^[59]

Among the birds commonly seen in the southern inhabited part of Quebec, there are theAmerican robin, thehouse sparrow, thered-winged blackbird, themallard, thecommon grackle, theblue jay, theAmerican crow, theblack-capped chickadee, somewarblers andswallows, thecommon starling and therock dove, the latter two having been introduced in Quebec and are found mainly in urban areas.^[60] Avian fauna includes birds of prey like thegolden eagle, theperegrine falcon, thesnowy owl and thebald eagle. Sea and semi-aquatic birds seen in Quebec are mostly theCanada goose, thedouble-crested cormorant, thenorthern gannet, theAmerican herring gull, thegreat blue heron, thesandhill crane, theAtlantic puffin and thecommon loon.^[61] Many more species of land, maritime or avian wildlife are seen in Quebec, but most of the Quebec-specific species and the most commonly seen species are listed above.

Some livestock have the title of "Québec heritage breed", namely theCanadian horse, theChantecler chicken and theCanadian cow.^[62] Moreover, in addition to food certified as "organic", Charlevoix lamb is the first local Quebec product whosegeographical indication is protected.^[63] Livestock production also includes the pig breeds Landrace, Duroc and Yorkshire^[64] and many breeds of sheep^[65] and cattle.

The Wildlife Foundation of Quebec and the Data Centre on Natural Heritage of Quebec (CDPNQ) (French acronym)^[66] are the main agencies working with officers for wildlife conservation in Quebec.

Given the geology of the province and its different climates, there is an established number of large areas of vegetation in Quebec. These areas, listed in order from the northernmost to the southernmost are: thetundra, thetaiga, theCanadian boreal forest (coniferous),mixed forest anddeciduous forest.^[11]

On the edge of theUngava Bay andHudson Strait is thetundra, whose flora is limited to a low vegetation oflichen with only less than 50 growing days a year. The tundra vegetation survives an average annual temperature of −8 °C (18 °F). The tundra covers more than 24% of the area of Quebec.^[11] Further south, the climate is conducive to the growth of theCanadian boreal forest, bounded on the north by thetaiga.

Not as arid as thetundra, thetaiga is associated with the sub-Arctic regions of theCanadian Shield^[67] and is characterized by a greater number of both plant (600) and animal (206) species, many of which live there all year. The taiga covers about 20% of the area of Quebec.^[11] TheCanadian boreal forest is the northernmost and most abundant of the three forest areas in Quebec that straddle theCanadian Shield and the upperlowlands of the province. Given a warmer climate, the diversity of organisms is also higher, since there are about 850 plant species and 280vertebrates species. TheCanadian boreal forest covers 27% of the area of Quebec.^[11] Themixed forest is a transition zone between the Canadian boreal anddeciduous forests. By virtue of its transient nature, this area contains a diversity of habitats resulting in large numbers of plant (1000) andvertebrate (350) species, despite relatively cool temperatures. The ecozonemixed forest covers 11.5% of Quebec and is characteristic of theLaurentians, theAppalachians and the easternlowlands forests.^[67] The third most northern forest area is characterized bydeciduous forests. Because of its climate (average annual temperature of 7 °C [45 °F]), it is in this area that one finds the greatest diversity of species, including more than 1600vascular plants and 440vertebrates. Its relatively long growing season lasts almost 200 days and its fertile soils make it the centre of agricultural activity and therefore of urbanization of Quebec. Most of Quebec's population lives in this area of vegetation, almost entirely along the banks of the Saint Lawrence. Deciduous forests cover approximately 6.6% of Quebec.^[11]

The forest area of Quebec is estimated at 750,300 km² (289,700 sq mi).^[68] From theAbitibi-Témiscamingue to theNorth Shore, the forest is composed primarily of conifers such as thebalsam fir, thejack pine, thewhite spruce, theblack spruce and thetamarack. Some species of deciduous trees such as theyellow birch appear when the river is approached in the south. Thedeciduous forest of theGreat Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands is mostly composed of deciduous species such as thesugar maple, thered maple, thewhite ash, theAmerican beech, thebutternut (white walnut), theAmerican elm, thebasswood, thebitternut hickory and thenorthern red oak as well as some conifers such as theeastern white pine and thenorthern whitecedar. The distribution areas of thepaper birch, thetrembling aspen and themountain ash cover more than half of Quebec territory.^[69]

• Ecological regions of Quebec
• Île Rouleau crater
• Manicouagan crater

• Babin, Andrée (1986).L'interatlas: Ressources du Québec et du Canada. Centre éducatif et culturel.ISBN 978-2-7617-0317-8.
• Brûlotte, Suzanne (2009).Les oiseaux du Québec. Éditions Broquet.ISBN 978-2-89654-075-4.
• Ministry of Environment of Quebec (2002).Water. Life. Future. National Policy on water(PDF). Government of Quebec.ISBN 978-2-550-40074-5.

• Geography of Quebec

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