The Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region in Quebec, Canada is distinguished by its physical beauty, especially the Fjord du Saguenay, the estuary of the Saguenay River, stretching through much of the region, and by the cordial character of its inhabitants. Ranging over 104,000 sq. kilometers, it is, after the Nord-du-Québec and Côte-Nord regions, the third largest of Quebec regions in area. The largest settlement is Ville de Saguenay, north of the fjord, and near Lac Saint-Jean. Its population, concentrated in three large clusters: Ville de Saguenay (La Baie - Chicoutimi - Jonquière) (148,179), Alma (30,126) and Roberval - Saint-Félicien - Dolbeau-Mistassini (36,407), represents 6,8 % of Quebec population. This region is bathed by two major water streams, the Lac Saint-Jean and the Saguenay River, both of which mark its landscape deeply, and have been the main drives of its development in History. It is also irrigated by several large water streams. Bordered by forests and mountainous massifs, the region constitutes a fertile enclave in the Canadian Shield. Both the panorama and the cultural sites and activites of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean attract the tourists every year. Lac Saint-Jean itself is a popular destination for residents of the more urban residents of Quebec to escape to in the summer.
Following the Saguenay municipal reorganization, at the turn of the Millennium, the region now counts 49 municipalities, grouped in four municipalités regionales de comté (MRCs):
- MRC du Fjord-du-Saguenay (19,929 hab.),
- MRC Lac-Saint-Jean-Est (53,346 hab.),
- MRC Domaine-du-Roy (32,089 hab.),
- MRC Maria-Chapdelaine (27,945 hab.),
- plus Ville de Saguenay (154,000 hab.), which is both a city and a MRC.
The beauty of the region can be seen in the 1991 film Black Robe, directed by Bruce Beresford.
Sources: Government of Quebec, 2003; Statistics Canada, 2001 Survey
