Montreal is the second-largest city in Canada, which also happens to be a part of the province of Quebec. The cultural capital of Quebec, the city also serves as the main entry point to the province. It used to be the largest city of Canada till the 1970s, when the status was taken over by Toronto. It is believed that Montral took its name either from Mont Réal/ Mount Royal, the three-head hill situated in the heart of the city. Majority of the people in the city speak French, while English is also widely understood. It is said to be one of the liveliest cities in North America. In case you want to know more about Montreal, make use of the fun and interesting facts provided in the lines below.
Fun & Interesting Facts about Montreal
- Montreal is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec.
- Montreal is the second-largest city in Canada. Its status of being the largest city was taken by Toronto in the 1970s.
- Montreal was initially called Ville-Marie (City of Mary). It was in 1775 that the city became known by its original name.
- The official language of Montreal, as defined by the city's charter, is French.
- Montreal is one of the five largest French-speaking cities in the world.
- In 2007, Forbes Magazine ranked Montreal as the 10th cleanest city in the world.
- In the June 2008 edition, London-based Monocle Magazine ranked Montreal as 16th in a list of the world's 25 most livable cities.
- In 1992, Montreal's 350th year, many of its attractions were expanded and/or renovated.
- The first permanent European settlement was created in Montreal in 1639.
- Montreal became the capital of the United Province of Canada in 1844.
- Montreal's population crossed the 1 million mark in 1950.
- Montreal hosted the Summer Olympics in 1976.
- Montreal is home to an "Underground City", a climate-controlled labyrinth of 2000 shops, spread over an area of 18 miles.
- In Montreal, the English speakers are known as Anglophones.
- After New York, Montreal has the highest number of restaurants, per capita, in North America.
