| Montreal or Montréal1 is the second largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. At the 2001 Canadian Census, there were 1,583,590 people living on the current territory of the city of Montreal proper (new 2006 demerged territory). The population of the Montreal Census Metropolitan Area (also known as Greater Montreal Area) is estimated at 3,635,700 in 2005 (Statistics Canada), making it one of the largest French-speaking metropolitan areas in the world. Montreal is ranked as the 15th largest metropolitan area in the Americas and 77th in the world. The city is the largest part of the Quebec region of Montréal. It is the second most densely populated city in Canada.
As in most parts of Quebec, French is the most common spoken language in the city. Nevertheless, Montreal has a substantial anglophone population and many of the residents are bilingual. Montreal is a "Gamma" global city, hosting a multitude of international festivals and events including the XXI Summer Olympiad, Juste pour Rire (Just for Laughs) comedy festival, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, the Montreal World Film Festival, and many others. During the period of prohibition in the United States, Montreal became well-known as one of North America's "sin cities" with unparalleled nightlife, a reputation it still holds today. In 2005, only 35 homicides were committed in the city, one of the lowest numbers in its history. Montreal has the highest concentration of post-secondary students of all major cities in North America. The city is a centre of health and aerospace science. |
