Montreal Geography/Location:
Montreal is located on an island (25 miles long and 9 miles wide) where the Ottawa River flows into the St. Lawrence River. Mount Royal, 760 feet tall, known as 'The Mountain' by locals, is the island's most striking land feature. The city core is small, and sits below the mountain in the south-central part of the island. Montreal is laid out on a grid pattern and is arranged into neighborhoods or boroughs.
Montreal Climate:
Montreal's climate ranges from pleasantly warm temperatures during the summer to frigid winter temperatures. Typical summer highs from June through July range from 64 to 69 degrees Fahrenheit, and there is usually no snowfall between May and September, making this part of the year the most popular time for visitors. Winters, conversely, are cold, with highs in January and February hovering between 13 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Snow falls on nearly half the days each month during December and January, making Montreal a haven for winter sports, including ice skating, sledding, cross country skiing and snowshoeing. As an escape from the winter cold, Montreal offers its 'Underground City,' a climate-controlled environment with over 2,000 shops and 18 miles of corridors.
Montreal Population:
The city population is nearly 2 million, while the metro area has 3,400,000 people. Montreal is Canada's second largest metro area, and Quebec's largest city.
Montreal History:
Native people once inhabiting the land that is now Montreal include the Algonkian, Huron and Iroquois tribes. By the 1600s, the area had been converted into a French fur-trading post. In the 1760s, Montreal fell to British control, thus opening the immigration flow from Great Britain and many other European nations.
