Montreal is the largest city in the province of Quebec and the second-largest city in Canada. It’s situated on the Island of Montreal at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. Montreal is one of the most bilingual cities in Canada and in the world, with over 59% of the population being able to speak both English and French. Montreal is known for its beautiful architecture and cultural diversity, hosting multiple food and film festivals yearly. Some of the places that make it famous include the stunning Notre-Dame Basilica, Old Montreal, Mount Royal Park, and the Montreal Botanical Garden.

Census in Canada is done every five years with the last one conducted in 2016. According to the 2016 census, Montreal had a population of 1,704,694. Montreal is the most populated city in Quebec and the second most populated city in Canada. Montreal is known to be a multicultural city with over 200 ethnic groups reported. As per 2016 census, 49.8% of the population identified themselves as Catholic, 23.2% stated they have no religious affiliation, 12.1% are Protestant, 4.6% are Muslim, 1.7% are Jewish. The city is known for its language diversity. French is the city's official language and is spoken at home by 49.8% of the population, followed by English, spoken by 22.8% of people. Other languages spoken at home include Italian, Arabic, Spanish, and Portuguese. The city has a rich history, with the iconic Saint Lawrence Iroquoians settlement of Hochelaga present on the Island of Montreal before the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century.

Local government in Montreal is based on a mayor-council system, with the mayor of Montreal serving as the city's chief executive officer. The city is divided into 19 boroughs, each of which elects a borough mayor and council. The city council is a democratically elected institution and is the final decision-making authority in the city. The council is responsible for adopting the budget, determining the rates of municipal taxes and charges, providing services and utilities, zoning, economic development, and many other functions. The mayor is elected by the citizens of Montreal for a four-year term and the city council is made up of elected representatives from each borough.

Montreal is an important centre of commerce, industry, culture, finance, and world affairs. The city is the largest in Quebec, the second largest in Canada, and the 15th largest in North America. Montreal industries include aerospace, electronic goods, pharmaceuticals, printed goods, software engineering, telecommunications, textile and apparel manufacturing, tobacco, petrochemicals, and transportation. The service sector is also strong and includes civil, mechanical and process engineering, finance, higher education, and research and development. The Port of Montreal is the largest inland port in the world and handles over 26 million tonnes of cargo annually.

The infrastructure of Montreal is characterized by the extensive use of sustainable materials, the emphasis on public transportation and the presence of numerous green spaces. The city is served by an extensive public transportation system that includes buses, a subway system known as the Metro, and commuter trains. The city also emphasizes the use of sustainable transportation and has a network of over 350 kilometers of bike paths. The city is served by two international airports, Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and Montreal Mirabel International Airport, a comprehensive network of expressways and the busiest bridge in Canada, the Champlain Bridge.