mountain range in eastern Quebec province, Canada. The mountains are a continuation of the Green Mountains of Vermont, U.S., and an outcrop of the northern Appalachians. Named by Samuel de Champlain, the French explorer, they extend for about 500 miles (800 km) in a northeasterly direction through the Gaspé Peninsula. Elevations average 3,500 feet (1,070 m). An extension, the Mont Chic-Choc (Shickshock Mountains), forms the backbone of the Gaspé Peninsula and follows the south shore of the St. Lawrence River for 100 miles (160 km), reaching a maximum height of 4,160 feet (1,268 m) at Jacques Cartier, or Tabletop, in the Gaspesian Provincial Park.