Quebec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec, and with about 717,000 residents in the metropolitan area, it is the second largest city in the province after Montreal. In 1985 Quebec City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the unique cultural and historic significance of the “Historic District of Old Quebec”. Founded in 1608, it is one of the oldest cities in North America, and a popular travel destination with travelers from all over the world. Particularly popular is Quebec City’s Winter Carnival. The Château Frontenac, a magnificent chateau-style hotel built for the former Canadian Pacific Railway Company, opened in 1893 and presides over the city’s skyline. Every year Quebec City attracts thousands of Canadian and international visitors with its unique French ambience, architecture and lifestyle.
The government presence has significantly contributed to a steadily growing economy in Quebec City; half of the Quebec government's workforce is located here, generating some 40,000 jobs. It is also home to many Canada's major financial institutions and insurance companies.
Quebec City’s strong economic sectors are led by high technology, including biomedical sciences, optics, photonics, lasers, robotics, bio-foods, and environmental technology. In addition, according to a survey of 52 European and North American cities, the city ranked in second place for leading edge software and metal manufacturing, while its electronics, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications equipment ranked fourth.
Supporting Quebec City’s advanced high technology is a strong research and development sector. The city has a major research centre, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (French, National Institute of Scientific Research), which conducts research in four broad sectors: environment; energy, health; and social science.
The city also attracts workers of all backgrounds and skills - from technical specialists to university graduates, including a good proportion of immigrants, and specialized workers from outside of Canada. For example, EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering has a staff that includes people of over 25 nationalities.
Quebec City is also a centre of higher education and the site of two famous French-speaking universities: Université Laval (Laval University), and Université du Quebec. Université Laval is the oldest centre of education in Canada, and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French. In Quebec City, government and private sector activities result in a large demand for multilingual services with very high demand for French-English translation services.
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