Anticosti << `AN` tuh KAW stee >> is a rocky island in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, off the southern coast of the Canadian province of Quebec. Anticosti has an area of 2,979 square miles (7,716 square kilometers) and a population of about 175 people.
The French explorer Jacques Cartier reached Anticosti in 1534. The government of Quebec now owns Anticosti. The island is used for fishing, hunting, and vacationing. The island’s large herd of white-tailed deer attracts many hunters.
In 2023, Anticosti was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of sites recognized for their great cultural or natural value. The island contains many prehistoric fossils of marine life from more than 400 million years ago.
