Honguedo Strait facts for kids
The Honguedo Strait (in French: Détroit d'Honguedo) is a narrow stretch of water in eastern Quebec, Canada. It flows between a large piece of land called Anticosti Island and the Gaspé Peninsula. Think of it as one of the two main exits for the Saint Lawrence River as it flows out into the bigger Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The other exit is called the Jacques Cartier Strait, which is on the north side of Anticosti Island.
What is the Honguedo Strait?
A strait is like a natural canal that connects two larger bodies of water. The Honguedo Strait is an important waterway for ships and for the flow of water from the Saint Lawrence River into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. At its narrowest point, this strait is about 70 kilometers (about 43 miles) wide.
Where is it Located?
The Honguedo Strait is found in the eastern part of Quebec, a province in Canada. It's positioned between Anticosti Island, which is a large island, and the Gaspé Peninsula, which is a finger of land sticking out into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. This location makes it a key part of the geography of the region.
How Did the Strait Get its Name?
The name "Honguedo" first appeared in the records of Jacques Cartier, a famous French explorer, between 1535 and 1536. For a long time in the 1500s, this strait was actually known as the Saint-Pierre Strait. You can see this name on old maps made by cartographers like Gerardus Mercator in 1569 and Cornelius Wytfliet in 1597.
It wasn't until the 1900s that the name Honguedo started to be used more often. In 1934, the Geographic Board of Quebec officially adopted the name "Honguedo Strait." This was done to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's arrival in North America.
The exact meaning of the name "Honguedo" is still a bit of a mystery! Some people think it might come from the Mi'kmaq language, an Indigenous language, and mean "gathering place." Others believe it could come from the Iroquois language, another Indigenous language, from the word hehonguesto, which means "one's own nose."
