Montreal
Montreal is one of the largest cities in Canada by population and the most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as Ville-Marie, or "The City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-peaked hill around which the early city of Ville-Marie is built. The city is centered on the Island of Montreal, which obtained its name from the same origin as the city, and a few much smaller peripheral islands, the largest of which is Île Bizard. The city is situated 196 km (122 mi) east of the national capital Ottawa, and 258 km (160 mi) southwest of the provincial capital, Quebec City.
The city was the second-largest city and metropolitan region in Canada as of 2021, with a population of 1,762,949 and a metropolitan population of 4,291,732. The official language of the city is French. In 2016, 53.7 percent of the population spoke only French at home, while 18.2 percent only spoke English. With 57.4% of the population speaking both English and French, Montreal is one of the most multilingual cities in both Canada and Quebec.
Montreal, formerly the commercial center of Canada, was superseded by Toronto in the 1970s in terms of both population and economic power. It continues to be a significant hub for business, aviation, transportation, finance, pharmaceuticals, technology, design, education, art, culture, tourism, food, fashion, video game development, cinema, and international affairs. The International Civil Aviation Organization's headquarters are located in Montreal, which also boasts the second-highest number of consulates in North America. In addition, Montreal was designated a UNESCO City of Design in 2006. The Economist Intelligence Unit placed Montreal as the 12th most liveable city in the world in its annual Global Liveability Ranking in 2017. However, in the 2021 index, Montreal dropped to rank 40, partly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic's strain on the healthcare system. It is regularly ranked as a top ten city in the world to be a university student in the QS World University Rankings.
Population: 1,762,949
