(Redirected from Gaspésie)
NASA satellite image of the Gaspé Peninsula. Part of
Anticosti Island appears to the northeast

Percé's Rocher Percé, circa 1900
The 'Gaspé Peninsula', 'Gaspesia' or just 'the Gaspé' (''la Gaspésie'' in French) is a
North American
peninsula on the south shore of the
Saint Lawrence River, in
Quebec,
Canada. It extends into the
Gulf of Saint Lawrence and is bounded on the south by
New Brunswick, from which it is partially divided by
Chaleur Bay and the
Restigouche River. Actually, the name Gaspesia is the one to use to avoid confusion with the town of Gaspe itself. ''Gaspésie'' is the official provinicial name of the peninsula in Quebec according to the "commission de la toponymie du Québec" (Quebec's toponymy commission).
The interior is rugged, being a northward extension of the
Appalachian Mountains. A section of the
International Appalachian Trail travels along the peninsula.
Route 132 circles the peninsula, with one branch following the coast and the other cutting across the peninsula at
Sainte-Flavie.
Forillon National Park is found at the northeastern tip of the Gaspé.
Together with the
Magdalen Islands, the Gaspé makes up the
Quebec region of
Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine.
A town on the peninsula is also called Gaspé; see
Gaspé, Quebec. The easternmost point of the peninsula jutting into the Gulf of St. Lawrence is called ''Cap Gaspé''. The name "Gaspé" comes from a
Mi'kmaq word ''gespeg'' meaning "land's end".
Inland
Route 198 leads inland from the northern shore of the peninsula. It soon climbs up from
sea level, and enters the forest of the Gaspé Peninsula, crossing several small rivers before reaching the town of
Murdochville at about 660 metres above sea level.
Murdochville has had a varied history, and is now home to several
wind turbine farms, which together have one of the largest wind generating capacities in the world.
From Murdochville, Route 198 winds its way along the York River to the city of Gaspé
Southern coast
At the communities of
Restigouche and
Gesgapegiag there are sizeable Mi'kmaq reserves and settlements. A small vigorous remnant is left of a once-thriving English-speaking community, found on the coast of Chaleur Bay, opposite New Brunswick, especially in the communities of
New Richmond and
New Carlisle. The vast majority of people speak French as their first language. As a tribute to the colonial
Loyalist settlements, Duthie Point in
New Richmond has recreated a Loyalist-theme site (called ''le village loyaliste'').
See also
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Acadia
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List of people from the Gaspé Peninsula
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List of Quebec regions
External links
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Info Gaspésie
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Gaspesie.net
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Gaspesie.com
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GoGaspe
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Living in Gaspe
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Municipalities and cities of Gaspe region