Madawaska | |
---|---|
County | |
Location of Madawaska County. |
|
Country | Canada |
Province | New Brunswick |
Established | 1873 |
Area | |
• Land | 3,463.05 km2 (1,337.09 sq mi) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 33,422 |
• Density | 9.7/km2 (25/sq mi) |
• Pop 2006-2011 | 1.9% |
• Dwellings | 15,514 |
Time zone | AST (UTC-4) |
• Summer (DST) | ADT (UTC-3) |
Area code(s) | 506 |
Madawaska County (2011 population 33,422), also known as the "New Brunswick Panhandle", is located in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Over 90% of the county's population speaks French. Its Francophone population are known as "Brayons." Forestry is the major industry in the county.
The first inhabitants of what is now called Madawaska County were the Maliseet or Wolastoqiyik, who occupied and used the land along the Saint John River Valley north to the St. Lawrence River and south to the Penobscot River. There is debate concerning the true origin of the word "Madawaska". The earliest settlers were from Quebec. The area was the focus of the bloodless Aroostook War, a border dispute led by businessman and political activist John Baker.
The earliest settlers of the Upper Saint John River Valley can be clearly verified with and
The second link displays census results taken in 1820 of the Madawaska region where most families had originated from Quebec.
There are ten municipalities within Madawaska County (listed by 2011 population):
There is one First Nations reserve in Madawaska County (listed by 2011 population):
The county is subdivided into fourteen parishes (listed by 2011 population):
Highways and numbered routes that run through the county, including external routes that start or finish at the county limits:
Coordinates: 47°25′17.1″N 68°21′38.2″W / 47.421417°N 68.360611°W