Estrie

Estrie, known in English as the Eastern Townships, is one of Quebec's 17 administrative regions. It lies in southern Quebec, east of the Montreal metropolitan area, and borders Vermont to the south. The regional capital and largest city is Sherbrooke; other important centers include Magog, Bromont, Coaticook and Lac-Mégantic. The region has a historically bilingual character and combines urban centers with rural communities.

The area sits in the Appalachian foothills and contains numerous lakes, rivers and forests. Notable peaks include Mont Orford, Mont Sutton and Mont Megantic, with Lake Memphémagog forming part of the border with the United States. The region includes parks and protected areas and is a popular destination for outdoor recreation year-round.

The Eastern Townships were settled starting in the 18th and 19th centuries by Loyalists and other anglophone and francophone communities, producing a distinctive bilingual culture. Sherbrooke developed as an industrial and educational hub; Lennoxville, a historic English-speaking enclave within Sherbrooke, reflects the region's heritage.

The economy combines services, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism, with dairy farming and orchards in rural areas and a growing agritourism sector. The population is about 320,000, predominantly French-speaking with a significant anglophone presence in Sherbrooke and surrounding areas. The region hosts two universities, the Université de Sherbrooke and Bishop's University.

Estrie is the official French name for the region; it is commonly referred to in English as the Eastern Townships. It is part of Quebec's system of administrative regions and appears frequently in regional planning and tourism materials.