Matapédia Valley
Encyclopedia
The Matapédia Valley was formed by the Chic-Choc Mountains
of eastern Québec
. Its name is derived from the river
that traverses the valley, as well as the lake
that lies in its center. It is situated in the southwest of the Gaspé peninsula
and stretches 375 km (233 mi).
The land is primarily made up of forest and agriculture, and is home to more than 20,000 inhabitants in some thirty municipalities. Most of them are concentrated along the main avenue of communication, Route 132
. The city of Amqui is the seat of the RCM
and is home to 6,261 people.
The Mi'kmaq people first developed the valley around 500 BCE. French-Canadian settlement began in 1833 when Pierre Brochu moved to Lake Matapédia along Kempt road. Settlers began flocking to the land in the late nineteenth century with the development of land clearing, agriculture, and the logging industry.
Chic-Choc Mountains
The Chic-Choc Mountains, often called Shick Shocks in English, is a group of mountains in the central Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, Canada. It is a part of the Notre Dame Mountains, which is a continuation of the Appalachian Mountains....
of eastern Québec
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....
. Its name is derived from the river
Matapédia River
The Matapédia River is a river on the Gaspé Peninsula in the province of Quebec, Canada. It runs 65 km from Lake Matapédia to the village of Matapédia where it flows into the Restigouche River on the interprovincial boundary with New Brunswick.Matapédia Lake becomes Matapédia River at Amqui ,...
that traverses the valley, as well as the lake
Lake Matapedia
Lake Matapedia is a body of water in Quebec, Canada, and is the source of the Matapédia River. The town of Amqui lies at the southeast corner of the lake....
that lies in its center. It is situated in the southwest of the Gaspé peninsula
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...
and stretches 375 km (233 mi).
The land is primarily made up of forest and agriculture, and is home to more than 20,000 inhabitants in some thirty municipalities. Most of them are concentrated along the main avenue of communication, Route 132
Quebec route 132
Route 132 is the longest highway in Quebec. It follows the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River from the border with the state of New York in the hamlet of Dundee , west of Montreal to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and circles the Gaspé Peninsula...
. The city of Amqui is the seat of the RCM
Regional county municipality
The term regional county municipality or RCM is used in Quebec to designate one of 86 county-like political and geographic units. In most cases, they are also census divisions. Regional County Municipalities are a supralocal type of "Regional Municipality" and are still commonly referred to as...
and is home to 6,261 people.
The Mi'kmaq people first developed the valley around 500 BCE. French-Canadian settlement began in 1833 when Pierre Brochu moved to Lake Matapédia along Kempt road. Settlers began flocking to the land in the late nineteenth century with the development of land clearing, agriculture, and the logging industry.