La Vallée-du-Richelieu Regional County Municipality
| La Vallée-du-Richelieu | |
|---|---|
| Regional county municipality | |
 Location in province of Quebec. |
|
| Coordinates: 45°34′N 73°12′W / 45.567°N 73.200°WCoordinates: 45°34′N 73°12′W / 45.567°N 73.200°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
|
| Province |
 Quebec
|
| Region | Montérégie |
| Effective | January 1, 1982 |
| County seat | McMasterville |
| Government | |
| • Type | Prefecture |
| • Prefect | Gilles Plante |
| Area | |
| • Total | 605.50 km2 (233.78 sq mi) |
| • Land | 588.88 km2 (227.37 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 116,773 |
| • Density | 198.3/km2 (514/sq mi) |
| • Pop 2006-2011 |
 9.4% |
| • Dwellings | 46,215 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC−5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC−4) |
| Area code(s) | 450 and 579 |
| Website | www |
La Vallée-du-Richelieu (The Valley of the Richelieu) is a regional county municipality in the Montérégie region in southwestern Quebec, Canada. Its seat is McMasterville.
It surrounds the Richelieu River as the river makes its way from Lake Champlain in the United States north to the Saint Lawrence River northeast of Montreal at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. Dramatically different from the mountainous terrain to the south, the river valley is a vast plain with extensive farmlands.
The Richelieu River itself is very popular for both U.S. and Canadian recreational boaters, providing a connection that can bring boaters all the way from the outlet of the Saint Lawrence River to New York Harbor. A number of old fortifications existed dating back to the 17th century were built to prevent the Iroquois from using the river as a way to attack the French settlers in the area. Fort Richelieu is at the mouth of the Richelieu River. Fort St. Louis (now Fort Chambly) at Chambly, Fort Sainte-Thérèse, and Fort Saint-Jean at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, are on the way. Fort St. Anne Isle La Motte, Vermont in Lake Champlain is near its source. The forts were built in order to protect travellers on the river from the Iroquois. The region is informally known as la Vallée-des-Forts.
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