<P> New France (French: Nouvelle - France) was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spain in 1763 . Under the Treaty of Paris (1763), France's claims to New France were transferred to Great Britain and Spain . </P> <P> At its peak in 1712 (before the Treaty of Utrecht), the territory of New France, also sometimes known as the French North American Empire or Royal New France, consisted of five colonies, each with its own administration: Canada, the most developed colony and divided into the districts Québec, Trois - Rivières and Montréal (before 1717, extending south through the Illinois Country); Hudson's Bay, see Anglo - French conflicts on Hudson Bay; Acadie, in the northeast; Plaisance, on the island of Newfoundland, and Louisiane . (after 1717, extending north through the Illinois Country); Thus, it extended from Newfoundland to the Canadian prairies and from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, including all the Great Lakes of North America . </P> <P> In the sixteenth century, the lands were used primarily to draw from the wealth of natural resources such as furs through trade with the various indigenous peoples (see Indigenous peoples in Canada and Native Americans). In the seventeenth century, successful settlements began in Acadia, and in Quebec by the efforts of Champlain . By 1765, the population of the new Province of Quebec reached approximately 70,000 settlers . </P> <P> The 1713 Treaty of Utrecht resulted in France relinquishing its claims to mainland Acadia, the Hudson Bay and Newfoundland to England . France established the colony of Île Royale, now called Cape Breton Island, where they built the Fortress of Louisbourg . </P>

Where did most settlements exist in new france