Matapédia Valley
| Matapedia Valley | |
|---|---|
| Vallée de la Matapédia | |
Landscape in the Matapedia Valley at the junction of the Matapedia and Restigouche rivers
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 Matapedia Valley
 Quebec,  Canada
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| Long-axis direction | southwest |
| Long-axis length | 375 km (233 mi) |
| Geology | |
| Type | river valley |
| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 48°30′N 67°20′W / 48.500°N 67.333°WCoordinates: 48°30′N 67°20′W / 48.500°N 67.333°W |
| Population centers | Amqui |
| Traversed by |
 Route 132
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The Matapedia Valley (French: vallée de la Matapédia) was formed by the Chic-Choc Mountains of eastern Québec. Its name is derived from the river that traverses the valley, as well as the lake that lies in its center. It is situated in the southwest of the Gaspé Peninsula and stretches 375 km (233 mi).
The land is primarily made up of forest and agriculture, and is home to more than 20,000 inhabitants in some thirty municipalities. Most of them are concentrated along the main avenue of communication, Route 132. The city of Amqui is the seat of the RCM and is home to 6,261 people.
The Mi'kmaq people first developed the valley around 500 BCE. French-Canadian settlement began in 1833 when Pierre Brochu moved to Lake Matapedia along Kempt Road. Settlers began flocking to the land in the late nineteenth century with the development of land clearing, agriculture, and the logging industry.
The name Matapedia may derive from the Mi'kmaq word matapegiag, meaning "river junction", from the parts mata (junction) and pegiag (river), referring to the Matapédia River that crosses the town just before its confluence with the Restigouche River.Silas Tertius Rand, a noted linguist and source from the late nineteenth century, indicated that the Mi'kmaq named the area Magabegeak which means "roughly flowing". It has also been spelled many different ways over time such as Matapediach,Madapeguia, Matapeguia, Matapediac,Matakpediack,Madapeguia,Metapedia, or Matapediac.
At the western extremity of the valley is the village of Sainte-Angèle-de-Mérici, Quebec. From north to south, it runs a length of 375 km (233 mi) until it reaches the Restigouche River to the east, which borders New Brunswick. The village of Matapédia, Quebec lies on the valley's eastern tip.
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