Forillon National Park, one of 42 national parks and park reserves across Canada, is located at the outer tip of the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec and covers 244 km2 (94 sq mi). Created in 1970, Forillon was the first national park in Quebec. The park includes forests, sea coast, salt marshes, sand dunes, cliffs, and the Eastern End of the Appalachians. The park includes nesting colonies of sea birds and whales, seals, black bears, moose, and other woodland animals. The word forillon is thought to have referred to a flowerpot island or sea stack which used to be a landmark in the area but has since collapsed into the ocean.
The Gaspésie (official name), or Gaspé Peninsula, the Gaspé or Gaspesia, is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, extending into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. It is separated from New Brunswick on its southern side by the Baie des Chaleurs (Chaleur Bay) and the Restigouche River.
The name "Gaspé" may come from a Mi'kmaq word gespeg meaning "land's end".[citation needed] However, "Gaspé" may instead be a mutation of the Basque word "Gerizpe", meaning "shelter".
The area of the Gaspé Peninsula is near that of Belgium, at 30,341 square kilometres (11,715 sq mi). The population is approximately 100,000.