Île René-Levasseur, Sacred island in Manicouagan, Canada.
Île René-Levasseur is an island in the center of Lake Manicouagan in Quebec. It rises to 952 meters (3,123 feet) at Mont Babel and contains forests, smaller lakes scattered across its interior, and two protected ecological reserves.
The island appeared in 1970 when water rose behind the Daniel-Johnson dam on the Manicouagan River. It sits within a crater formed by an asteroid strike 214 million years ago.
The Innu First Nation of Betsiamites maintains strong connections to this territory and continues legal proceedings to protect it from logging operations.
The island sits deep in the northern Quebec wilderness without road access. Visitors need experience in remote areas and should plan for long travel by boat or floatplane.
The circular shape of the island and the lake around it can be seen from space and ranks among the most recognizable geological features on Earth. Astronauts often use it as a landmark when flying over North America.
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