Maria, Quebec
Municipality in Quebec, Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maria (French pronunciation: [maʁja]) is a municipality in Quebec, Canada.
Maria | |
|---|---|
Church in Maria | |
.JPG) Coat of arms | |
| Motto(s): Fidem et caritatem ("Faith and charity") | |
 Location within Avignon RCM | |
  Maria Location in eastern Quebec | |
| Coordinates: 48°10′N 65°59′W[1] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Gaspésie– Îles-de-la-Madeleine |
| RCM | Avignon |
| Settled | 1774 |
| Constituted | July 1, 1855 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jean-Claude Landry |
| • Federal riding | Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj |
| • Prov. riding | Bonaventure |
| Area | |
• Total | 95.75 km2 (36.97 sq mi) |
| • Land | 94.88 km2 (36.63 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[3] | |
• Total | 2,760 |
| • Density | 29.1/km2 (75/sq mi) |
| • Pop (2016-21) |  5.5% |
| • Dwellings | 1,229 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area codes | 418 and 581 |
| Highways |  R-132 |
| Website | www |
History
Maria had been the location of a Mi'kmaq summer coastal community prior to European settlement.[4] In 1774, the area began to be settled by American Loyalists, and Scottish and Irish settlers. In 1842, the geographic township was formed, named in honour of Lady Maria Howard, wife of Guy Carleton and third daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham.[1]
In 1845, the Township Municipality of Maria was established, dissolved, and re-established in 1855. In 1860, the place experienced rapid development when a group of Acadians arrived and founded the Parish of Sainte-Brigitte-de-Maria.[1]
In 1977, Maria changed status from township municipality to just municipality.[1]
Demographics
| 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,760 (+5.5% from 2016) | 2,615 (+3.1% from 2011) | 2,536 (+5.6% from 2006) |
| Land area | 94.88 km2 (36.63 sq mi) | 95.09 km2 (36.71 sq mi) | 94.86 km2 (36.63 sq mi) |
| Population density | 29.1/km2 (75/sq mi) | 27.5/km2 (71/sq mi) | 25.3/km2 (66/sq mi) |
| Median age | 53.2 (M: 52.0, F: 54.4) | 51.2 (M: 49.1, F: 52.6) | 45.9 (M: 45.6, F: 46.2) |
| Private dwellings | 1,229 (total) 1,164 (occupied) | 1,159 (total) | 1,122 (total) |
| Median household income | $73,000 | $64,384 | $50,129 |
Historical Census Data - Maria, Quebec | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: Statistics Canada[8] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mother tongue:[9]
- English as first language: 2.5%
- French as first language: 95.1%
- English and French as first language: 0.9%
- Other as first language: 0.9%
Economy
The main economy of the municipality is the hospital which serves the entire region. The hospital of Maria was built between New Richmond and Carleton-sur-Mer.
Notable people
Marie-Christine Lévesque, author[10]
