Montreal

Montreal or Montréal1 (pronounced in Canadian English, in standard French, and {{IPA |/mɒM1;ɾeal/}} in Quebecois French) is the second largest city in Canada. According to the most recent Canadian census (2001), the city itself has 1,812,723 inhabitants while 3,426,350 people live in the Greater Montreal Area (Statistics Canada, 2001). {{ref|populationestimate}}{{ref|gma}} It is the largest city and primary economic centre of the province of Quebec, of which it constitutes an administrative region.

Demographics

See also: List of famous Montrealers

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The Greater Montreal area has a population of 3,607,000 people (Statistics Canada 2004), including the neighbouring major cities of Laval and Longueuil, among other smaller cities. Montreal proper will be home to 1.5 million people after the demerger set for January 1, 2006. A resident of Montreal is known as a Montrealer in English, and a Montréalais(e) in French. Residents sometimes refer to the city by the shorthand name of MTL. The large population of Montreal justifies the city having its own postal district together with Laval; i.e. all postal codes in Montreal and Laval, and only postal codes in Montreal and Laval, begin with H.

Related Topics:
Statistics Canada - 2004 - Laval - Longueuil - January 1 - 2006 - H

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Most Montrealers speak French as their first language; a sizeable minority speak English, but a majority of residents have at least a working knowledge of both languages. This trend has increased after the French language reforms of the 1970s.

Related Topics:
French language reforms - 1970s

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About 67.8% of the population of the Greater Montreal Area is composed of francophones. 18.4% are allophone (they have neither French nor English as their first language) and 13.8% are native anglophones.

Related Topics:
Francophone - Allophone - Anglophone

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The demographics change on the Island of Montreal island itself, however, with francophones constituting 53% of the population, anglophones 18%, and allophones 29%. A majority of allophones speak French or English as a second language. A May 2004 survey noted that 53% of the people in Montreal speak both French and English, while 37% speak only French and 7% speak only English.

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Ethnicities

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The European or White population is vastly French, Irish, and Italian.

Related Topics:
European - French - Irish - Italian

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According to StatCan the largest 4 ethnic groups are Canadian: 55.7% (1 885 085), French: 26.6% (900 485), Italian: 6.6% (224 460), and Irish: 4.7% (161,235).

Related Topics:
Canadian - French - Italian - Irish

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Interestingly StatCan comes to the conclusion that those who identified as Canadian are those who are most likely British/Irish/French origin and have been in Canada for many generations.

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• White: 2,886,400 or 86.8%
• Black: 129,705 or 3.9%
• Arab: 67,830 or 2.0%
• Asian: 56,655 or 1.7%
• Chinese: 50,115 or 1.5%
• mixed race: 46,900 or 1.4%
• (based on single responses)-Statcan

Around 74.5% of the population is Roman Catholic, and other Christian faiths constitute another 10.0% of the population.

Related Topics:
Roman Catholic - Christian

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While the official language of Montreal is French, services are usually also offered in English in downtown and tourist areas as well as in areas designated as bilingual boroughs. The Irish have been settling in Montreal and the province of Quebec for centuries, as they saw it as a more inviting place than many other parts of the British Empire. The Irish and French shared a common religion, Roman Catholicism. This made it easier for the Irish to be accepted and not discriminated against, as they were in Toronto (York). A large number arrived during the Great Famine of 1845-1852 in Ireland, which resulted in many orphans being adopted by French families. The tide of immigration continued for many years and by some estimates, it is believed that nearly 40% of Francophones in Montreal have a mixture of French and Irish heritage, as suggested by the non-French surnames possessed by a significant number of Montrealers. See also Historica Minute: Orphans.

Related Topics:
British Empire - Great Famine - 1845 - 1852

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Each of the many neighbourhoods in the city has a predominant language. The parts of the city that lie to the west of Saint Lawrence Boulevard (boulevard Saint-Laurent) can be said to be predominantly Anglophone, while the neighbourhoods to the east are predominantly Francophone. However there are a handful of predominately French neighbourhoods west of Saint Lawrence, notably Saint-Henri, Lachine and Île-Bizard. Westmount, on the southwestern slopes of Mont Royal, is traditionally the home of wealthy Anglophones, while Outremont, on the opposite side, is the home of wealthy Francophones. However, these distinctions are increasingly becoming obsolete in fact and in the public mind. Speakers of both languages can be found in all parts of the city.

Related Topics:
Saint Lawrence Boulevard - Anglophone - Francophone - Saint-Henri - Lachine - Île-Bizard - Westmount - Mont Royal - Outremont

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Montreal is the home or former home of many famous people, including two prime ministers, many well-known artists and musicians, and a number of politicians.

Related Topics:
Prime ministers - Artist - Musician - Politician

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Although not as obvious as for Quebec city, rather wide and dispersed green areas can be found in Montreal, most of which appear to be influenced by British green areas. This can also be seen of several buildings. Most people visiting the city from Europe can notice this and many tourists from the UK can easily feel at home.

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