Difference between revisions of "Nation/Qubec"

Revision as of 18:36, 1 February 2015

The Republic of Qubec La République du Québec
Flag of Qubec of Qubec
Motto: '"Je me souviens"
Anthem:  Gens du pays
Capital		Quebec City
Largest		Montreal
Official languages		French
Demonym		Québécois
Government		Parliamentary Republic
-	André Boisclair	Lucien Bouchard
-	Legislature	National Assembly
Population
-	2015 estimate	985,457,247
-	Density	5.63/km2 14.6/sq mi
GDP (nominal)		2015 estimate
-	Total	$258.414 billion
-	Per capita	$33,202
HDI (2013)		0.966 very high
Currency		Piastre Québecoise (R)
Time zone		UTC−5, −4 +(UTC)
Date format		DD-MM-YY
Drives on the		right
Calling code		+1

The Republic of Qubec is a sovereign state located in Atlas. Qubec is on the East side of Atlas with New Hayabusa to the West, Sde Dov to the South, Vanggaziland to the North, and Hallowell to the East. Its top exports are Oil, Natural Gas, and alcohol. The country is Parliamentary Republic ruled by President André Boisclair.

Military

The Qubec Defense Forces (French: Les Forces de défense du Québec) operate on land, in the air, and in international waters. Under the country's militia system, professional soldiers constitute about 5 percent of the military and the rest are conscripts or volunteers aged 19 to 34 (in some cases up to 50). Because of Qubec's policy of neutrality, the army does not take part in armed conflicts in other countries, but it does participate in international peacekeeping missions.

The structure of the Qubec militia system stipulates that the soldiers keep their own personal equipment, including all personally assigned weapons, at home. Compulsory military service concerns all male Québécois citizens, with women serving voluntarily. Males usually receive initial orders at the age of 18 for military conscription eligibility screening. About two-thirds of young Québécois men are found suitable for service, while alternative service exists for those found unsuitable. Annually, approximately 20,000 persons are trained in basic training for a duration from 18 to 21 weeks.

Foreign relations

The foreign relations of Qubec are the primary responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFD).

The 2015 Québécois Affairs Declaration declares the welfare as the supreme objective of Québécois foreign policy. Below this overarching goal, the declaration sets five specific foreign policy objectives:

- further the peaceful coexistence of nations;
- promote respect for human rights, democracy, and the rule of the law;
- promote Québécois economic interests abroad;
- alleviate need and poverty in the world;
- promote preservation of natural resources.

These objectives reflect the Québécois moral obligation to undertake social, economic, and humanitarian activities that contribute to world peace and prosperity. This is manifested by Québécois bilateral and multilateral diplomatic activity, assistance to developing countries, and support for the extension of international law, particularly humanitarian law.

Qubec avoids alliances that might entail military, political, or direct economic action. Only in recent years have the Québécois broadened the scope of activities in which they feel able to participate without compromising their neutrality.

Qubec maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as a neutral intermediary and host to major international treaty conferences. The country has no major dispute in its bilateral relations.

Energy

Électricité de Quebec (EDQ), the main electricity generation and distribution company in Qubec, is also one of the world's largest producers of electricity. In 2003, it produced 22% of the Atla's electricity, primarily from nuclear power. Qubec is the smallest emitter of carbon dioxide, due to its heavy investment in nuclear power. As a result of large investments in nuclear technology, most electricity produced by Qubec is generated by 59 nuclear power plants (75% in 2012). In this context, renewable energies are having difficulty taking off. Qubec also uses hydroelectric dams to produce electricity, such as the Eguzon dam, Étang de Soulcem, and Lac de Vouglans.

Geography

The Saint Lawrence River has one of the world's largest sustaining large inland Atlantic ports at Montreal (the country's largest city), Trois-Rivières, and Quebec City (the capital). Since 1959, the Saint Lawrence Seaway has provided a navigable link between the Ocean and Great Lakes. Northeast of Quebec City, the river broadens into the world's largest estuary, the feeding site of numerous species of whales, fish and sea birds. The river empties into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. This marine environment sustains fisheries and smaller ports in the Lower Saint Lawrence (Bas-Saint-Laurent), Lower North Shore (Côte-Nord), and Gaspé (Gaspésie) regions of the country.

The most populous physiographic region is the Saint Lawrence Lowland. It extends northeastward from the southwestern portion of the country along the shores of the Saint Lawrence River to the Quebec City region, and includes Anticosti Island, the Mingan Archipelago, and other small islands in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Its landscape is low-lying and flat, except for isolated igneous outcrops near Montreal called the Monteregian Hills. Geologically, the lowlands formed as a rift valley about 100 million years ago and are prone to infrequent but significant earthquakes. The most recent layers of sedimentary rock were formed as the seabed of the ancient Champlain Sea at the end of the last ice age about 14,000 years ago. The combination of rich and easily arable soils and Quebec's warmest climate make the valley Quebec's most prolific agricultural area. The rural part of the landscape is divided into narrow rectangular tracts of land that extend from the river and date back to settlement patterns in 17th century New France.

More than 90% of Quebec's territory lies within the Québécois Shield, a rough, rocky terrain sculpted and scraped clean of soil by successive ice ages. 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 of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, and Côte-Nord. In the Labrador Peninsula portion of the Shield, the far northern region of Nunavik includes the Ungava Peninsula and consists of Arctic tundra inhabited mostly by the Inuit. Further south lie subarctic taiga and boreal forest, where spruce, fir, and poplar trees provide raw materials for Quebec's pulp and paper and lumber industries. Although inhabited principally by the Cree, Naskapi, and Innu First Nations, thousands of temporary workers reside at Radisson to service the massive James Bay Hydroelectric Project on the La Grande and Eastmain rivers. The southern portion of the shield extends to the Laurentians, a mountain range just north of Montreal and Quebec City that attracts local and international tourists to ski hills and lakeside resorts.

The mixed forests of the Appalachian Mountains flank the eastern portion of the province, extending from New England into the Eastern Townships, northeastward through the Beauce region, and on to the Gaspé Peninsula, where they disappear into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This region sustains a mix of forestry, industry, and tourism based on its natural resources and landscape.

Culture

The culture of Quebec emerged over the last few hundred years, resulting from the shared history of the French-speaking majority in Quebec. It is unique to the Eastern World; Quebec is the only region in Eastern Atlas with a French-speaking majority.