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The Saguenay River is a major river of Quebec, Canada. It drains Lac Saint-Jean in the Laurentian Highlands , leaving at Alma and running east, and passes at the city of Saguenay. It drains into the Saint Lawrence River at Tadoussac.

The river has a very high flow rate and is bordered by steep cliffs. Tide waters flow upriver as far as Saguenay (about 100 kilometres). Many Beluga whales breed in the cold waters at its mouth, making Tadoussac a popular site for whale watching. The confluence of the Saguenay and Saint Lawrence is protected by the Saguenay - St. Lawrence Marine Park, one of Canada's national parks.

It was an important trade route into the interior for the First Nations people of the area, and during the French colonization of the AmericasThe French established colonies across the New World in the 17th century. They were developed to export sugar and furs among other products. North America Explorers and settlers from France settled in what is now Canada, the Mississippi Valley and along t was a major route for the fur tradeThe fur trade was a huge part in the early economic development of North America. European traders and trappers explored the continent and established relationships with local Native American communities in order to obtain the best pelts. Beaver was espec. Tadoussac, France's first trading post in Canada, was established in 1600Events January January 1 Scotland adopts January 1st as being New Year's Day February February 17 Giordano Bruno burned in a stake for heresy July July 2 Battle of Nieuwpoort: Dutch forces under Maurice of Nassau defeat Spanish forces under Archduke Alber. The river takes its name from the legendary Kingdom of the SaguenayThe Kingdom of the Saguenay was a mythical land of vast riches believed to exist by early French explorers of Canada. Chief Donnacona told stories about it, claiming it had great mines of silver and gold, when he was imprisoned in France in the 1530s..

The river was exploited for the loggingFor another article about a different type of logging, see data logging. Logging is the practice of cutting down trees, then cutting out their central boles (the clear trunk or central stem) and possibly branches in order to use the wood directly or to ma and pulp and paperThe global pulp and paper industry is dominated by North American ( United States, Canada), northern European ( Sweden, Finland) and southeast Asian countries (such as Japan). Australasia and Latin America also have significant pulp and paper industries. industries beginning in the 19th centuryAlternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical ( 18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801- 1900. Events The Little Ice Age ended, and is also used for hydroelectricityHydroelectricity hydroelectric-power or Hydropower is a form of hydropower that uses the energy released as a result of water falling, or flowing downhill or by wave-differences, under the influence of gravity to produce electricity. Specifically, the mec generation, both for commercial power and to operate an aluminum smelter at Arvida .

Severe flooding on the river from July 18- 21, 1996, devastated the region and proved one of Canada's costliest natural disasters. [1]