MONTREAL - INTRODUCTION 

Montreal, city, Île-de-Montréal County, southern Quebec Province,
Canada, on the Île-de-Montréal (Montreal Island), at the confluence of
the St Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. Montreal is Canada's most populous
city; its metropolitan area population, however, is second to that of
Toronto. Most of Montreal's citizens speak French as their first
language. The landscape of Montreal is primarily flat, but encompasses
scattered hills, including Mount Royal (233 m/764 ft high), situated
in the centre of the city. The area around Mount Royal is densely
urbanized, and the population spreads along river arms and trunk roads
into the suburbs. The business district is wedged between the St
Lawrence River and Mount Royal. High office buildings are concentrated
downtown around René Lévesque Boulevard, and large department stores
are situated on St Catherine Street. Population 3,480 (2000 estimate).