goods, chemicals, and paper. Quebec’s
mines provide gold, copper, zinc,
James
Bay
8 Quebec BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
iron ore, and asbestos. River dams create
electricity, which Quebec exports to
other provinces and to the United
States.
Most farming in Quebec is done in the
south, near the Saint Lawrence River.
The province leads all others in dairy
farming. Quebec is also among the leading
provinces in poultry, hog, and vegetable
production. Maple sugar is a
Quebec specialty.
History
The first people in what is now Quebec
were American Indians and Inuit.
Indian groups included the Iroquois, the
Huron, and the Cree.
In 1534 the French explorer Jacques
Cartier sailed up the Saint Lawrence
River and claimed the lands he saw for
his country. The region was called New
France. In 1608 Samuel de Champlain
founded Quebec city. Montreal was
founded in 1642.
The French turned New France over to
the British in 1763, after losing the
French and IndianWar. The British
renamed the land Quebec. In 1791 the
British split Quebec into two parts:
Upper and Lower Canada. Lower
Canada was later renamed Canada East.
Canada East became the province of
Quebec in 1867. It was one of four
original provinces in the new country of
Canada. Upper Canada became the
province of Ontario.
Quebec’s borders changed in the early
1900s. Ungava, a huge region between
Hudson Bay and the Hudson Strait,
became part of the province in 1912.
But the province lost land to Newfoundland
(now Newfoundland and Labrador)
when a boundary line was drawn in
1927.
Quebec’s French Canadians have not
always gotten along well with Canada’s
English-speaking majority. In the 1960s
some people in Quebec began to
demand that Quebec become a separate
country. In 1976 Quebec voters elected
a government dedicated to independence.
However, in 1980 and again in
1995 the people voted for Quebec to
remain part of Canada.
..More to explore
Canada • Cartier, Jacques • Champlain,
Samuel de • French and IndianWar
• Saint Lawrence River and Seaway
Street signs in Quebec are
mostly in French.
Facts About
QUEBEC
Flag
Population
(2006 census)
7,546,131
Area
595,391 sq mi
(1,542,056 sq
km)
Capital
Quebec city
Motto
Je Me Souviens (I
Remember)
When Quebec
Became a
Province
1867
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Quebec 9
Queensland
Queensland is the second largest of Australia’s
six states. (Western Australia is
the largest.) Queensland is known for its
sandy beaches, damp rain forests, open
plains, and rugged highlands. Its tropical
climate has earned it the nickname Sunshine
State. Brisbane is the capital.
Geography
The Pacific Ocean borders Queensland
on the north and the east. The state of
New SouthWales lies to the south, and
the state of South Australia lies to the
southwest. The Northern Territory
forms the western border of Queensland.
Mountains that rise 2,000 to 5,000 feet
(600 to 1,500 meters) line Queensland’s
coast. A mountain range called the
Great Dividing Range separates the eastern
third of Queensland from the western
part. The western part of the state is
mostly dry plains. Dense rain forests of
palms, pines, and other plants grow on
the eastern coast. Off the coast of
Queensland is the world’s largest coral
reef, called the Great Barrier Reef.
People
More than 3.5 million people live in
Queensland. Most Queenslanders can
trace their family history to Europe. A
small number of people are Australian
Aborigines. People from Southeast Asia,
especially Vietnam, also have settled in
Queensland.
More than 40 percent of Queensland’s
people live in Brisbane, in the southeastern
corner of the state. This big city is a
port on the Pacific Ocean.
Economy
Farming and mining are important to
Queensland’s economy. The main farm
products are beef, sugarcane, wheat, and
wool. Other crops include sorghum,
corn, pineapples, and bananas. Queensland’s
mines produce coal, copper, silver,
zinc, and lead.
Tourism also brings money to the state.
Tourists come for the warm climate and
sandy surfing beaches. Many visit the
Great Barrier Reef and the rain forests.
Queensland is home to many animals. Kangaroos
sometimes hop across roads, so
people must drive carefully.
10 Queensland BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
History
Aborigines have lived in what is now
Queensland for at least 40,000 years.
European explorers visited the area in
the late 1700s and early 1800s. In 1824
Great Britain set up prison camps in
what is now Queensland. Britain
shipped many prisoners to these camps,
which existed until 1840.
Free British settlers began to build settlements
in the area in the early 1840s. At
first Queensland was a part of the
colony of New SouthWales. In 1859
Queensland became a separate colony.
The population soared after gold was
discovered in the late 1850s. Many miners
went to Queensland in the hope of
striking it rich.
In 1901 Australia became independent
from Britain. At the same time Queensland
became a state of Australia.
..More to explore
Australia • Great Barrier Reef
Quito
Population
(2005
estimate), urban
area,
1,514,000
Quito is the capital of Ecuador, a country
in northwestern South America. The
city sits on the slopes of the Pichincha
