Gaspé Peninsula
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Image:GaspePeninsula23.jpg The Gaspé Peninsula or just the Gaspé (la Gaspésie in French) is a North American peninsula on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, in Quebec. It extends into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and is bounded on the south by New Brunswick, from which it is partially divided by Chaleur Bay and the Restigouche River.
The interior is rugged, being a northward extension of the Appalachian Mountains. A section of the International Appalachian Trail travels along the peninsula.Highway 132 circles the peninsula, with one branch following the coast and the other cutting across the peninsula at Sainte-Flavie. Forillon National Park is found at the northeastern tip of the Gaspé.
Together with the Magdalen Islands, the Gaspé makes up the Quebec region of Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine.
A town on the peninsula is also called Gaspé; see Gaspé, Quebec. The easternmost point of the peninsula jutting into the Gulf of St. Lawrence is called Cap Gaspé. The name "Gaspé" comes from a Mi'kmaq word gespeg meaning "land's end".
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Inside the coast
Travelling along the northern shore of the Gaspé Peninsula, the small highway number 198 turns off towards the higher lands of the Gaspé Peninsula. A few minutes into your voyage up from sea level, you can see the forest of the Gaspé Peninsula. As you head further and further into the hills, you'll cross several small rivers and reach the town of Murdochville at about 660 meters up from sea level. The small town has been around for 50 years or so and offers a large history of ups and downs.
Currently, the small town is leading the way in the development of several large windmill farms that are amazing to see. The towers sprout up over the city limits with one of the largest wind generating capacities in the world. As you continue along your voyage, the 198 winds its way along the York River to spill out on the city of Gaspé.
Southern coast
At the communities of Restigouche and Gesgapegiag [1] there are sizeable Mi'kmaq reserves and settlements. A small vigorous remnant is left of a once-thriving English-speaking community, found on the coast of Chaleur Bay, opposite New Brunswick, especially in the communities of New Richmond and New Carlisle. The majority of people speak French. As a tribute to the colonial Loyalist settlements, Willett Point in New Richmond has recreated a Loyalist-theme site (called le village loyaliste).