How Much Do You Know About Quebec?

Despite being the second-biggest country in the world, Canada's population is only about 37 million — to put that into perspective, Spain is smaller than Quebec yet has approximately 46.5 million people. Ontario takes the prize for the biggest province by population with about 14.3 million people, and Quebec is second.

Right next to the Saint Lawrence River, Quebec City (known as "Ville de Québec") is easily recognizable because of Château Frontenac, the sprawling and historic hotel that stands grand in the city's skyline.

Confederation happened on July 1, 1867, hence why Canada Day is celebrated on that day each year. In 1864, Quebec City hosted a conference where leaders discussed the possibility of uniting the provinces.

The Notre-Dame Basilica is unique in that it's Canada's first church designed in the Gothic Revival Style. The Basilica receives about 11 million visitors each year, rivaling the 13 million annual visits to Notre-Dame de Paris.

Gatineau Park, a massive park that's 361 km² in area, is one of Gatineau's crown jewels. A sight to behold in autumn, it's home to several historical treasures, including the Mackenzie King Estate, the grounds where the former prime minister lived.

The referendum occurred on October 30, a crisp autumn day that saw a whopping 93.5% of the approximately 5 million eligible voters head to the polls. The final result was a tiny victory: "No" to separating received 50.58% of votes, while "Yes" received 49.42%.

Lévesque founded the party in 1968 and was Quebec's premier from 1976-1985. He has the distinction of being Quebec's first politician to implement a referendum on the province's independence.

"Canadiens" is the French version of "Canadians." Founded in 1909, the Canadiens have the highest number of Stanley Cups — a grand total of 24. To watch a home game, head over to the Bell Centre, though it'll likely be packed.

Indeed, the queen herself reigns from Charlemagne, a small suburb of Montreal that, in 2011, had a population of just under 6,000. There's even a street and pizza restaurant named after her.

Also known as La Fête Nationale, this holiday celebrates the birth of John the Baptist, a Jewish prophet who baptized repentant people in preparation for God's final Judgment. The holiday originated from French settlers who arrived in Quebec, but it didn't gain prominence until it was re-imagined by a Montreal journalist who, in opposition to Britain's rule, wanted to give Quebec a French version of St. Patrick's Day.

Well, technically, the battlefield scenes were filmed right outside of Montreal, but details, details. The movie needed a beautiful winter setting, and lo and behold, they found it. Keep an eye out the next time you're weeping into your Kleenex watching the movie.

The fleur-de-lis represents Quebec's relationship with French settlers. The flower is a symbol of French royalty, with rumors that France's first Christian king began using it as his personal emblem.

With Quebec City located right next to the St. Lawrence River, the word "Quebec" was used to describe to the river's narrowing. The original Algonquin word is "kébec," which eventually morphed into the word used today.

The Montreal Olympic Stadium is a must-see, receiving over 67 million visits since its inauguration in 1976. Directly attached to it is the Montreal Tower, the world's tallest inclined tower, standing at 165 metres.

"Je me souviens" means "I remember," and while its origins are traceable, there isn't an established consensus on its context. In the 1880s, Eugène-Étienne Taché, the architect of Quebec's legislature, inscribed the words on the building plans directly under the province's coat of arms, which were to appear on the building's main door. The phrase was then included in Quebec's coat of arms when they became official. Though theories exist, no one is certain to what Taché was referencing.

You might have been inclined to choose the first, but it's located on the peninsula's inland. If you visit Forillon National Park, be sure to check out the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park, an amazing spot for whale watching.

A staple during winter, each family has its own version because there's no established consensus on how to make tourtière. Regardless of the variations, four spices are essential: nutmeg, cloves, allspice and cinnamon.

This is a trick question because Quebec didn't officially become a province until 1867, so while some prime ministers were born in what we know today as Quebec, it was technically a different province at the time, covering a different surface area. The four prime ministers born there are Louis St. Laurent, Pierre Trudeau, Jean Chrétien and Brian Mulroney.

The G7 Summit was held at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, a grand hotel. The town is also home to Casino de Charlevoix, a riverside casino, and Mont Grand-Fonds, a ski mountain known for its stunning slopes.

With 24 countries signing the Montreal Protocol, it's considered one of the most successful treaties because, thanks to the majority of ozone-depleting substances that are being eliminated, the ozone layer is recovering.

Montreal and Quebec City have the province's two international airports — Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and Québec/Jean Lesage International Airport. The former is the third busiest airport in Canada.

Covering 22,000 km², the Laurentians reach far beyond Mont-Tremblant and are home to North America's first ski lift, which was built in 1931. There are also more than 9,000 freshwater lakes, but who's counting?

Berry bought a cabin in 2008 while dating a model from Montreal, but sold it in 2011 when they broke up. The list price was $1.9 million, no wonder considering that it occupied 63 acres and was next to a private lake.

The Historic District in Quebec City, with its meandering streets and European charm, was given UNESCO status in 1985. Miguasha National Park, a mesmerizing display of natural beauty, followed suite in 1999 because it contains the most and best-preserved fossil specimens of lobe-finned fish. These specimens gave rise to tetrapods, the first terrestrial vertebrates that are four-legged and air-breathing.

The river is 395 kilometers long, making it a sight to behold for the town. In North America, Trois-Rivières is the second-oldest city where French is widely spoken. If you ever stop by, make sure to visit the river, but also save time for the Old Prison, a historic monument that was once Canada's oldest prison.

Using 30,000 tons of snow and 500 tons of ice, the hotel's French name is "Hôtel de Glace," and it takes six weeks to build each year. There's even an ice chapel if you were hoping to get married.

The Cosmodôme has a cool "virtual missions" activity that allows you to become a space exploration character and begin an airspace mission. The museum also features 4D films and a tour of the Endeavour space shuttle.

A Conservative, Chauveau held office from 1867 until 1873 and held a seat in both the provincial and federal legislatures. He appears to have left a political legacy, as his great-great-great-grandson is Thomas Mulcair, a federal candidate in the 2015 election.

In Montreal, the Front de libération du Québec, a separatist group, abducted Pierre Laporte, the Deputy Premier, and James Cross, a British diplomat. The kidnappers' demands included $500,000 and the release of people they deemed political prisoners who espoused their beliefs.

Quebec was among the first provinces that were discovered, the others being Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. He reached the Gaspé Peninsula before returning to France to report his findings to the King Francis I, who was impressed.

Anticosti is a hidden gem, unknown to many people. It even contains an eponymous national park, and with biking, canyoning, ziplining and sightseeing, there's no shortage of things to do at this natural wonder.

According to the 2016 Census, approximately 6.75 million of Quebecers say their first language is French, while 964,210 report that it's English, and 278,710 say it's both. Owing to its diversity and Indigenous population, there are numerous other languages spoken as well.

With so many maple syrup producers, the province yielded 159 million (yes, million) pounds of maple syrup in 2018. It's no surprise that Quebec creates 72% of the world's maple syrup, with about 60 recipient countries.

Most provinces have set the age at 19, but a few others have allowed 18-year-olds to buy and drink alcohol. It's not uncommon for young Ontarians close to the Quebec border to hop over to the not-so-local booze place.

McGill has over 400 programs and dozens of research centres and institutes. The school has also surpassed other Canadian post-secondary institutions in educating the most Nobel laureates and Rhodes Scholars.