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Madawaska
County
Location of Madawaska County.
Country	Canada
Province	New Brunswick
Established	1873
Area
• Land	3,461.89 km (1,336.64 sq mi)
Population
• Total	32,741
• Density	9.5/km (25/sq mi)
• Change 2011-2016	2.0%
• Dwellings	15,774
Time zone	UTC-4 (AST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-3 (ADT)
Area code	506

Madawaska County (2016 population 32,741), also known as the "New Brunswick Panhandle", is located in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Over 90% of the county's population speaks French. Its Francophone population are known as "Brayons." Forestry is the major industry in the county.

History

The first inhabitants of what is now called Madawaska County were the Maliseet or Wolastoqiyik, who occupied and used the land along the Saint John River Valley north to the St. Lawrence River and south to the Penobscot River. There is debate concerning the true origin of the word "Madawaska". The earliest settlers were from Quebec. The area was the focus of the bloodless Aroostook War, a border dispute led by businessman and political activist John Baker.

The earliest settlers of the Upper Saint John River Valley have been clearly verified, with census results of the Madawaska region taken in 1820 showing where most families had originated from Quebec.

Census subdivisions

Communities

There are ten municipalities within Madawaska County (listed by 2016 population):

First Nations

There is one First Nations reserve in Madawaska County (listed by 2016 population):

Parishes

The county is subdivided into fourteen parishes (listed by 2016 population):

Demographics

As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Madawaska County had a population of 32,603 living in 14,905 of its 15,851 total private dwellings, a change of -0.4% from its 2016 population of 32,741. With a land area of 3,454.97 km (1,333.97 sq mi), it had a population density of 9.4/km (24.4/sq mi) in 2021.

Language

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Madawaska County, New Brunswick
Census		Total		French				English				French & English				Non-official languages
Year		Responses		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %
2016		32,105		29,765	2.5%	92.71%		1,645	7.5%	5.12%		372	24.0%	1.17%		320	77.8%	1.00%
2011		32,510		30,500	2.2%	93.82%		1,530	8.1%	4.71%		300	13.2%	0.92%		180	54.4%	0.55%
2006		33,510		31,185	4.7%	93.06%		1,665	6.1%	4.97%		265	26.4%	0.79%		395	119.4%	1.18%
2001		34,845		32,735	3.8%	93.94%		1,570	14.2%	4.51%		360	14.3%	1.03%		180	44.0%	0.52%
1996		36,300		34,030	n/a	93.75%		1,830	n/a	5.04%		315	n/a	0.87%		125	n/a	0.34%

Access routes

Highways and numbered routes that run through the county, including external routes that start or finish at the county limits:

Protected areas and attractions

Notable people

See also

• Republic of Madawaska
• Brayon
• List of communities in New Brunswick

References

1. ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census Madawaska, County [Census division], New Brunswick". Statistics Canada. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
2. "Rivers of Canada - St. John River : Can Geo Education". www.cangeoeducation.ca. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
3. "Visit of the Bishop of Québec to the upper St.John River valley, 1686". C. Gagnon. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
4. "1820 US Census of Penobscot County, Maine - Matawasca Parish, French Settlement". C. Gagnon. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
5. "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Select Region". Statistics Canada. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
6. ^ "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
7. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
8. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and census divisions". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
9. "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
10. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
11. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
12. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
13. Atlantic Canada Back Road Atlas ISBN 978-1-55368-618-7

v t e Places adjacent to Madawaska County, New Brunswick
Témiscouata RCM, Quebec Restigouche County Madawaska County Aroostook County, Maine  United States Victoria County

47°25′17.1″N 68°21′38.2″W / 47.421417°N 68.360611°W / 47.421417; -68.360611

• Madawaska County, New Brunswick
• Counties of New Brunswick