Quebec City, Quebec is the capital of the province of the same name. The current population in Quebec City was over 515,000 inhabitants. The metropolitan area had a population of approximately 765,706 which made it the second most heavily populated city following Montreal. Montreal is located about 233 km or 145 miles to the southwest of the city.
The name "Quebec" originates from the Algonquin word Kebec, that translates to "where the river narrows." This word refers particularly to the narrowing of the Saint Lawrence River on the city's promontory. The promontory is Cap-Diamant and Levis on the opposite bank from the city. Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City during 1608, making it among the oldest cities in North America. The only fortified city walls that still exist within north of Mexico within America, are the ramparts surrounding Vieux-Quebec or Old Quebec. These walls were declared in 1985 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the "Historic District of Old Quebec."
Quebec is the city's official name in both French and English, based on the provincial and federal governments, even if Quebec City is normally used, mainly to distinguish the province from the city. The Chateau Frontenac is the most well-known landmark in the city and is a hotel which dominates the skyline. The National Gallery of Quebec of the Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec and the Museum of Civilization or the Musee de la civilization are both found close to Vieux-Quebec.
A lot of the jobs in Quebec City are based in the sectors of tourism, defense services, public administration, transport and commerce. As Quebec City is the capital of the city, the city benefits from being a regional services and administrative center. The provincial government is the largest employer in the city. As of the year 2007, 27,900 individuals worked for them. The local hospital network CHUQ is the biggest institutional employer in Quebec City and during the year 2007 had over 10,000 workers. The unemployment rate within Quebec City was well below the national averages of 7.3% and 6.6% in 2008 at 4.5%.
Within Quebec City about 10 percent of the jobs are in manufacturing. The key manufacturers consist of chemicals, paper and pulp, processed food, metal and wood items, electrical equipments and electronics and printed materials.
Quebec City is home to many company headquarters, like: La Capitale, Industrial Alliance, Union Canadienne and Beenox Frima Studio within the insurance sector, and in the computer games business Sarbakan, in advertising and marketing SSQ and Promutuel and within technology Institut National d'Optique or INO and EXFO. In the financial sector, the Desjardins Group is the largest employer in the region. Overall, both of the defense and the security industries are extremely important in the city. They have formed an industrial pole known as Technopole Defense and Security.