Montreal - its physical and human geography
From the St Lawrence valley to Mount Royal
Montreal is in Quebec, a province in the South West of Canada, just under 300 km from Quebec City, the provincial capital, and 200 km from Ottawa, the federal capital. Montreal is just over 600 km north of New York. It was founded in 1642 but had previously been settled by the Iroquois Indians for around 2,000 years prior.
Montreal has been built at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa rivers and is located on an island between the two. Montreal is a major port and it is located at the end of the St Lawrence Seaway which runs from the Great Lakes in the north to the Atlantic Ocean at its southern end. It was named after the island's steep tri-cornered hill which is called Mount Royal.
Rivers are a major element in Montreal's layout, lying, as it does between the St Lawrence in the south and the smaller but not insignificant Rivière des Prairies to the north.
The large rivers also play a large part in Montreal's climate which is very humid. Precipitation of one sort or another is a year-round problem with the summer months having the highest rainfall (the annual figure is around 900 mm). In winter, the rain turns to snow and the city government has been known to spend upwards of CAN $100,000,000 on snow clearance - all 2 metres of it.
Click pictures to enlarge
Montreal lies at the confluence of several climatic regions and thus the climate in Montreal varies greatly. In general, the climate is humid continental. Temperatures can range from -10C (January) to 26C (July). The maximum and minimum temperatures ever recorded were -38C and 38C. Wind chill is a major factor in the winter months making it feel a lot colder than it actually is. Humidity can be a real problem in the summer.
Montreal is served by road, rail, air and sea although the sheer width of the St Lawrence has proved a disincentive to bridge construction. This means that the city suffers from traffic congestion - particularly during the rush hours. The Seaway provides a major source of revenue and trade with the port serving both Canadian and International freight.
In 2006 the city's population was 1,600,000 and the municipal area of Montreal encompassed 3,600,000 people. French and English are widely-spoken in Montreal.
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