Québec
Diese Information in deutsch
Official Name: Québec
Area: 1,667,441 square kilometers
Population: 7,9 million
Capital City: Québec City
Official Language(s): French
Currency: Canadian Dollar
Regional Leader: Premier Jean Charest
Geography
Québec covers a huge land area, three times larger than France and close to a fifth the size of the United States of America. With over 10,000 kilometres of land, sea and river borders, Québec has a predominantly cold, humid climate largely determined by its northern, maritime location. As a result, the population of Québec is concentrated in the south. During the summer, with the arrival of tropical air masses, temperatures rise substantially. Close to 80 percent of Quebecers live in the south, along the shores of the St. Lawrence River. This 3.600-kilometre-long waterway, which cuts across Québec from west to east, empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Québec boasts over 3 percent of the world's freshwater reserves, which constitute Quebecers' leading source of electric energy: indeed, hydroelectricity is one of the pillars of the Québec economy. Québec is also home to 2 percent of the world's forests, which cover close to half of is landmass, along with a wide array of abundant ore reserves, including gold, iron, nickel, silver, asbestos, zinc and titanium.
Economy
Québec is the world's sixth most important exporter to the U.S. market. Close to 85 percent of its exports are shipped south of the border. Since the economic crisis, Quebec tries to set itself apart from its main trading partners in economic growth and employment. For example, Quebec already has created more jobs compared to those lost between February 2008 and July 2009. In Canada, the province leads the strategic sectors of information technology and communications, life sciences and aerospace. Not to mention that in 2009, Quebec dominated the Canadian venture capital market with 43% of all dollars invested in Canada.
High-tech industries abound in Québec, accounting for close to a third of its exports. Québec's largest city, Montréal, has become a global hub of the interactive digital media industry and has carved out a worldwide reputation for its dynamic animation software and movie special effects industry. The French company Ubisoft, which employs close to 1.000 people in Montréal, announced in 2005 that it planned to double its Montréal personnel by 2010. Montréal is also number four in North America when it comes to the number of jobs in the biopharmaceutics sector. Québec's top ten exports include telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft engines and parts.GDP: 265,9 billion Candian Dollar (2009)
GDP per head: 33.971 Canadian Dollar (2009)
Inflation: percent : 0,6 percent (2009)
Economic growth: -1,4 percent (2009)
Unemployment rate: 8,5 percent (2009)
Politics
Since April 14, 2003, Québec Liberal Party leader Jean Charest is Premier of Québec. After the election on December 8, 2008, his party holds 66 seats in the National Assembly, the Opposition parties hold 59 seats. Each member of the National Assembly represents an electoral riding (one Member of the National Assembly per riding). Members of the National Assembly are elected under a single-ballot, "first-past-the-post" system. On average, the last 15 general elections (since 1948) have been held every 43 months, or 3,8 years. The date of the general election is set by the Premier, subject to the five-year limit set by electoral law.
For any further information, please contact:
Amt der Oö. Landesregierung
Direktion Präsidium
Abteilung Präsidium
