Amqui
Amqui (/ɒmkwiː/) is a town in eastern Quebec, Canada, at the base of the Gaspé peninsula in Bas-Saint-Laurent. Located at the confluence of the Humqui and Matapédia Rivers, it is the seat of La Matapédia Regional County Municipality. The main access road is Quebec Route 132.
Amqui | |
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Aerial view of Amqui | |
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Coat of arms | |
Location within La Matapédia RCM. | |
Amqui Location in eastern Quebec. | |
| Coordinates: 48°28′N 67°26′W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Bas-Saint-Laurent |
| RCM | La Matapédia |
| Settled | 1870s |
| Constituted | January 16, 1991 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sylvie Blanchette |
| • Federal riding | Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia |
| • Prov. riding | Matane-Matapédia |
| Area | |
| • Total | 126.80 km2 (48.96 sq mi) |
| • Land | 120.02 km2 (46.34 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Total | 5,999 |
| • Density | 49.6/km2 (128/sq mi) |
| • Pop 2016-2021 | 2.9% |
| • Dwellings | 3,015 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | G5J |
| Area codes | 418 and 581 |
| Highways | R-132 R-195 |
| Website | www |
The Mi'kmaq word amgoig, also written humqui, unkoui and ankwi, means "the place to have fun", "half wall" or "place of amusement and pleasure." Another Mi'kmaq name for the area is Amkooĭk or Mkooögwĭk which aptly describes the area as "boggy." One source postulates that its name comes from the swirling water at the junction of the Humqui and Matapédia rivers. However, the most plausible explanation appears to be more pragmatic: Amqui was formerly a place where Amerindians gathered for pow wows.