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QUEBEC, a province of the Dominion of Canada, bounded S. by New Brunswick
and the United States, W. by Ontario, N. by the district of Ungava,
and E. by the gulf of St Lawrence and the strip of eastern Labrador
which belongs to Newfoundland. If Ungava be considered as added to the
province of Quebec, Hudson Strait is the northern. boundary. The province
includes the island of Anticosti, the Bird Islands and the Magdalen
Islands, in the gulf of St Lawrence. The western boundary, separating
Quebec from Ontario, extends through Point au Baudet on the river St
Lawrence to Point Fortune on the Ottawa river, from which place the
boundary follows the Ottawa to Lake Temiscaming. From the north end
of this latter lake it runs due north to Hudson Bay. The province of
Quebec thus extends from Blanc Sablon, a fishing harbour at the western
end of the Strait of Belle Isle (which separates Canada from Newfoundland)
in 59 ~ W. to Lake Temiscaming in 79 40 W., a distance of about 1350
miles. The area of the province is 351,873 sq. m. The general direction
of the province is north-east and south-west, following the course of
its chief physical feature, the river St Lawrence. Speaking generally,
it may be said that the province of Quebec comprises the hydrographical
basin of the river St Lawrence as far west as the intersection of the
parallel of 45 N. with the latter. The St Lawrence flows near the southern
edge of its basin, on.ly some 5o,ooo sq. m. of the area of the province
lying south of the river.
The province of Quebec falls into three main physiographical divisions,
viz.: (I) the Laurentian Highlands, (2) the Valley of the St Lawrence,
and (3) the Notre Dame Mountains and the rolling country lying to the
south-east of this range.
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