Interesting Facts About Montreal - Fun Facts About Montreal

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 until the 1970s, when the status was taken over by Toronto. It is believed that Montral took its name from either Mont Réal or 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. Montreal has also been the commercial capital of Canada since a very long time. One can come across several buildings which boast of amazing architecture. Be it the factory building, offices, streets, pavilions, public artworks or metros, the architecture of Montreal is a delight to the eyes. In case you want to know more about Montreal, make use of the fun and interesting facts provided in the lines below.

Image: Germán Póo-Caamaño@flickr

Fast Facts

Country: Canada

Continent: North America

Established In: 1642

Established By: Paul de Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve

Population: 1,649,519 (2011)

Area: 431.50 km²

Demonym: Montrealer

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.
It is regarded as the ‘sister-city’ to Hiroshima in Japan.
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.
Its population crossed the 1 million mark in 1950.
Montreal hosted the Summer Olympics in 1976.
It 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, M ontreal has the highest number of restaurants, per capita, in North America.
One of the major urban areas of Canada, the city has even overshadowed Toronto as the country’s economic center. In fact, the city is regarded as one of North America’s great cosmopolitan cities.
Montreal is one of Canada’s most important ports and is a vital transshipment port for sugar, grain, oil, machinery and certain other manufactured goods.
The city is also an important railway hub, with an underground rail system called the Metro, inaugurated in 1966.
Montreal lies at the base and the foot of Mt. Royal, from where the place received its name. Around this mountain lies a large wooded park that extends till the center of the city.
Some of the major attractions within the city are an environmental museum, insectariums, a museum of fine arts, a museum of contemporary arts, an amusement center, casino and large botanical gardens.
The city was recently named a UNESCO City of Design.
A theme park in Montreal named La Ronde has the tallest wooden roller-coaster in the world.
There is street called ‘gay village’ which actively supports the gay lifestyle.
The city holds many walks to raise money for medical causes, such as cancer, aids, etc.
Montreal has four pronounced seasons, namely, summer, winter, spring and autumn.
Hockey is the favorite sport of Montreal, in factsit is a religion here.
The O.Noir restaurant in Montreal is unique pace where one can dine in complete darkness. There are no lights, candles or matchstick.

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