Gaspé, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Gaspé is a city at the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula
in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region of eastern Quebec
, Canada
. As of the 2006 census, the city had a total population of 14,819.
Gaspé is where Jacques Cartier
took possession of Nouvelle-France (now Canada) in the name of Francois I of France on July 24, 1534.
word "Gespeg" which means "Land's end". However, according to the "Commission de toponymie of Quebec", Gaspé may be a mutation of the Basque
word "Gerizpe" which means "shade", with the figurative meaning "sheltered place". This may be why Jacques Cartier considered it; he actually halted in the Bay after losing an anchor during a storm. On July 24, 1534, he officially took possession of the area by planting a wooden cross with the king's coat of arms and the sentence "Vive le Roi de France" (meaning: Life (to) the King of France), meaning François 1st. This is why Gaspé claims the title of "French-Canada's Cradle".
's Montreal – Gaspé train, and the Gaspé Airport
.
with: Puerto Montt
, Chile
(2005) Saint-Malo
, France
(2009)
Gaspé Peninsula
The Gaspésie , or Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé, is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, extending into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region of eastern Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. As of the 2006 census, the city had a total population of 14,819.
Gaspé is where Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer of Breton origin who claimed what is now Canada for France. He was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named "The Country of Canadas", after the Iroquois names for the two big...
took possession of Nouvelle-France (now Canada) in the name of Francois I of France on July 24, 1534.
History
"Gaspé" may come from the Mi'kmaqMi'kmaq language
The Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
word "Gespeg" which means "Land's end". However, according to the "Commission de toponymie of Quebec", Gaspé may be a mutation of the Basque
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
word "Gerizpe" which means "shade", with the figurative meaning "sheltered place". This may be why Jacques Cartier considered it; he actually halted in the Bay after losing an anchor during a storm. On July 24, 1534, he officially took possession of the area by planting a wooden cross with the king's coat of arms and the sentence "Vive le Roi de France" (meaning: Life (to) the King of France), meaning François 1st. This is why Gaspé claims the title of "French-Canada's Cradle".
Economy
The regional hospital is the main employer in the city. Tourism is a very important part of the city and the region's economy. Thousands flock to the city every summer to enjoy the environment and the surrounding attractions.Transportation
Gaspé is accessible by automobile, Via RailVIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
's Montreal – Gaspé train, and the Gaspé Airport
Gaspé Airport
Gaspé Airport, or Michel Pouliot Gaspé Airport , is located west of Gaspé, Quebec, Canada. The airport is non-towered, but has a mandatory frequency linked remotely the flight service station located in Mont-Joli...
.
Climate
International relationships
Gaspé is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Puerto Montt
Puerto Montt
Puerto Montt is a port city and commune in southern Chile, located at the northern end of the Reloncaví Sound in the Llanquihue Province, Los Lagos Region. The commune spans an area of and had a population of 175,938 in 2002. It is located 1,055 km to the south of the capital, Santiago...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
(2005) Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(2009)