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[[trash:Quebec]]
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'''Quebec''' is the largest province of '''[[Canada]]''' and the second in population. The official language is French with its local dialect while English is in minority and more widely spoken by the border areas. English is known at a certain level by the population, most often by the young generation or the people working in constant contact with foreigners. Surprisingly as it may sound, for the majority of the population, English is rarely of daily use. The daily life, economical life are all lived in French and the size of the province has enable the fact that one can travel great distance without even having to speak English.
The province is bordered by [[Ontario]] to the West, the [[United States of America|United States]] to the South ([[New York stateState|New York]]/[[Vermont]]/[[New Hampshire]] and [[Maine]]), [[New Brunswick]] to the South-East and [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Labrador]] ([[Newfoundland and Labrador|NewFoundLand]]) to the East.
The vast majority of the population (and therefore the cities) are located in the southern part of the province by the shore of the St-Lawrence River. [[Quebec city|Québec]] is the Capital and administrative centre of the province also being the historic gateway to the northern part of the continent, it is the second city of Quebec and the seventh of [[Canada]] in term of population.
== Local attitude towards hitching ==
Apart from the [[Montreal Metropolitan|Montreal Metropolitan Area]] hitchhiking is widely accepted in the province. Some local people also hitchhike short distances. The acceptance and ease of hitchhiking is related to the feeling of community in the area. Public transport is often limited and many people pick up hitchhikers in the countryside for a short ride to the next village. In more remote areas people might also act in the need and responsibility to help someone from the local community. Less to say that people might be surprised to meet a foreigner and quite flattered and happy by this sudden encounter as it is not an everyday event for most.
Long distance will usually end up being something exclusive to some major destination (such as Quebec-Montreal) or major highways as otherwise most of the destinations are not direct. This said, the scale of the country and perception of what is local and what is long distance might surprise people, 30km is a neighbour while up to 100km is still local.
Hitch-hiking a truck will usually be less common for the reason mentionned above, that the majority of the hitch-hiker are usually travelling short distance or heading into cities. Truck drivers usually stick to the main 'government numbered road' or highways and rarely adventures themselves into the cities. The uses of [[CB radio]] is well spread, therefore catching a ride with a truck driver could means that he can contact its surrounding to find you another lift further away.
This said, even if people are well receptive to hitch-hiker (elderly and women included), encountering red neck behaviour while standing along the road (ie. being yelled at, honked or fingered) will also happen simply as people are bored and you became an easy target to a prank. In another situation those very same people would probably react totally kindly and receptive if you would approach them at a [[rest area|service station]].
== Road and Highway network ==
The numerous provincial roads follows a grid pattern where the '''even''' number marks the roads heading East-West, while the '''uneven''' indicate a road heading North-South.
The main highway vectors are the [[Quebec highways|A-20]] ([[Trans-Canada Highway|Transcanadian Highway]]) which goes East-West from the border of [[Ontario]] through [[Montreal]] until the border of [[New Brunswick]] passing on the south shore of the St-Lawrence river.
Highway [[Quebec highways|A-40]] follows the same path on the north shore of the St-Lawrence, going through [[Trois-Rivières]] and ends up in Quebec city. The connection between those two main highways can only be made through one of the few bridges crossing the St-Lawrence at few specific points.
* in [[Quebec city]] in the east by the Pont de Québec and Pont Pierre-Laporte (highway [[Quebec highways|A-73]] which connects [[Maine]]/USA to the Saguenay/Lac-St-Jean ([[Chicoutimi]]) area through [[Quebec city]].
* in [[Trois-Rivières]] in the middle part of the province by the Pont Laviolette (highway [[Quebec highways|A-55]] which connects [[Vermont]]/USA to Lac-St-Jean area through [[Sherbrooke]] and [[Trois-Rivières]].
* in [[Montreal]] in the western part of the province by several bridges through the metropolitan Montreal area. (highway [[Quebec highways|A-10]] which joins the [[Quebec highways|A-55]] in the East near [[Sherbrooke]]; highway [[Quebec highways|A-15]] which connects [[New York stateState|New York]]/USA to the Laurentides area and [[Ottawa]]. As [[Montreal]] is an island, other bridges also connects to the mainland either on the East or West and also to the North through [[Laval]] island.* Since 2001, a new bridge as been built in [[Sorel]], East of [[Montreal Metropolitan]] enabling a connection between the [[Quebec highways|A-40 and A-30]].
For a more exhaustive description of it see the [[Quebec highways|provincial highway]] page.
* [[Sherbrooke]]
== Border Crossing to the [[United States of America|United States]] ==
* Towards [[Maine]]:
''Look over [[Montreal]] for more details''
''Look also [[Monteregie]] for more details regarding the Rural Crossings West of [[Montreal|Lacolle]]''
* Towards [[Vermont]] and [[New Hampshire]]:
{{Provinces Canada}}
{{IsIn|Canada}}
[[trash:Quebec]]
[[Category:Montreal Metropolitan|Montreal Metropolitan Area]]
[[Category:Montreal Metropolitan|Montreal Metropolitan]]
[[Category:Monteregie|Monteregie]]
[[Category:Canada]]
[[Category:Quebec| ]]
[[fr:Québec]]
