Final answer:
France was the country that established colonies around the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River, and Mississippi River, particularly centered in present-day Quebec.
Step-by-step explanation:
The country that concentrated their colonies around the Great Lakes, Mississippi River, and St. Lawrence River was France. Initially, in the early colonial period, France established settlements throughout Eastern Canada, the St. Lawrence River Valley, the Great Lakes regions, and expanded as far south as the Gulf of Mexico through the Mississippi River Valley. The heart of French Canada was in Quebec, particularly around the St. Lawrence River valley. French influence is still evident today, with many places retaining French names and cultural characteristics. Despite France's eventual loss of these territories to Britain after the Seven Years' War, the legacy of French colonization is still present in the region.