Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean

Infobox Settlement
name = Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
other_name =
native_name =
settlement_type = Région

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flag_size = 125px


mapsize = 200px
map_caption = Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean's location in comparison to the whole Canadian province of Quebec.
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = flagicon|Canada Canada
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = flagicon|Quebec Quebec
area_total_km2 = 98708.62
population_as_of = 2006
population_total = 272610
population_density_km2 = auto
timezone = EST
utc_offset = −5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = −4
website = [http://www.saguenaylacsaintjean.gouv.qc.ca/ Portail de la Région du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean]

Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is a region in Quebec, Canada. It contains the Saguenay Fjord, the estuary of the Saguenay River, stretching through much of the region. It is also known as Sagamie in French, from the first part of "Saguenay" and the last part of "Piekouagami", the Montagnais name (meaning "flat lake"), for Lac Saint-Jean, with the final "e" added to follow the model of other existing region names such as Mauricie, Témiscamie, Jamésie, and Matawinie. [http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/lesgentilesliste.asp] With a land area of 98,708.62 km² (38,111.61 sq mi), the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean is, after the Nord-du-Québec and Côte-Nord regions, the third largest of Quebec regions in area.

This region is bathed by two major watercourses, Lac Saint-Jean and the Saguenay River, both of which mark its landscape deeply and have been the main drives of its development in history. It is also irrigated by several other large watercourses. Bordered by forests and mountainous massifs, the region constitutes a fertile enclave in the Canadian Shield. Both the scenery and the cultural sites and activities of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean attract tourists every year. Lac Saint-Jean itself is a popular destination for residents of the more urban regions of Quebec to escape to in the summer.

The region is considered the heartland of the Quebec sovereignty movement.

The beauty of the region can be seen in the 1991 film "Black Robe," directed by Bruce Beresford.

Population

The population of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region was 272,610 at the 2006 census, representing 3.6 % of Quebec's population. It is concentrated into three large clusters: Ville de Saguenay (born of the merging of the cities of La Baie, Chicoutimi, Jonquière and a few smaller communities) (pop. 143,692), Alma (pop. 29,998) and Roberval (pop. 10,544) - Saint-Félicien (pop. 10,477) - Dolbeau-Mistassini (pop. 14,546). The largest settlement (Ville de Saguenay) is located slightly west of the fjord, mostly south of the river.

ubdivisions

Following the Saguenay municipal reorganization in 2002, the region now counts 49 municipalities.

Regional County Municipalities
*MRC du Fjord-du-Saguenay (pop. 20,025)
*MRC Lac-Saint-Jean-Est (pop. 51,170)
*MRC Domaine-du-Roy (pop. 31,956)
*MRC Maria-Chapdelaine (pop. 25,767)

Independent City
*Ville de Saguenay (pop. 143,692)

Indian Reserve
*Mashteuiatsh within Le Domaine-du-Roy, (pop. 1,749 Montagnais)

Sources: Government of Quebec, 2003;Statistics Canada, 2006 Census

Major communities

*Alma
*Chambord
*Desbiens
*Dolbeau-Mistassini
*Hébertville-Station
*Métabetchouan-Lac-à-la-Croix
*Normandin
*Roberval

*Saguenay
*Saint-Ambroise
*Saint-Bruno
*Saint-Félicien
*Saint-Honoré
*Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc

External links

* [http://www.saguenaylacsaintjean.gouv.qc.ca/ Portail du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean] Official website