The region of Lanaudière is part of central Quebec and is located between the
Saint Lawrence River and the
Laurentian Mountains, between
Mauricie and the
Laurentides. Lanaudière attracts a good deal of interest from vacationers. Lanaudière's area of stretch northwest from a shoreline of on the Saint Lawrence River. Lanaudière is generally rural, while the urban areas are generally concentrated in the south of the region, such as
Repentigny,
Terrebonne and
Berthierville. The altitude rises as one goes northwards; it is near the Saint Lawrence River to almost at the top of mountains near
Saint-Donat and
Saint-Zénon. Lanaudière is made up of three distinct geographical groupings: the southern plain has cities and farming villages and includes many historical locations; the
piedmont in the centre has become a vacation spot due to its numerous lakes and natural attractions, and the
Laurentian Plateau in the far north in the forested country is known for its fishing and hiking. The three main ports of entry for Lanaudière are all in the south: Terrebonne, Repentigny and Berthierville. Lanaudière's road network was developed according to three north-south axes (25-125, 31-131, 347), all of which have few links with the neighbouring regions. This internal network is almost exclusively composed of secondary roads. Lanaudière has two wildlife preserves, the
Rouge-Matawin and the
Mastigouche, as well as part of the
Mont Tremblant park. Further to the north, about an hour away from
Saint-Michel-des-Saints, there is the
Atikamekw First Nations reserve of
Manawan. ==History==