Sept-Îles Quebec: Encyclopedia II - Sept-Îles Quebec - Geography

Sept-Îles Quebec - Geography

Located on the north shore of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, between the Sainte-Marguerite and Moisie rivers, Sept-Îles lies on the shore of a deep-water bay fronted by a seven-island archipelago. The bay constitutes a 45 km² natural harbour.

The seven islands are named:

• La Grosse Boule ("the big ball")
• La Petite Boule ("the small ball")
• La Grande Basque ("the large Basque", named after the visiting Basque fishermen)
• La Petite Basque ("the small Basque")
• Île Manowin (from the Montagnais manouane meaning "where eggs are picked")
• Île du Corossol (named after the French ship Corossol wrecked on the island in 1693; site of a lighthouse and a bird sanctuary)
• Îlets De Quen (a group of tiny islands named after Jean de Quen who founded the local Catholic mission in 1650)

The archipelago is under provincial jurisdiction, with some parts administered by the federal government or by particulars.

The city includes two First Nations reserves, Uashat in the western city proper, and Maliotenam in the east near the Moisie River.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Geography", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki