iss014e12686

ISS014-E-12686 (21 Jan. 2007) --- This wintry scene of Quebec Province in Canada was photographed by one of the Expedition 14 crew members aboard the Earth-orbiting International Space Station. In 1535 Jacques Cartier landed on an island in the St. Lawrence River and named a 233 meter-high mountain Mount Royal. Montreal is a city on that island that grew up around the mountain. The city of Montreal (near center frame) is located on the Ile de Montreal to the northwest of the St. Lawrence river (the wider body of water). It was not until 1642 that Ville Marie, founded by missionaries, would officially become the city of Montreal. The cityscape contrasts well with the farmland and natural forests in this summer view. Today Montreal is the largest city in the province of Quebec, and is the second most populous metropolitan area in Canada -- in 1991 the population was just more than one million in the city and 3,127,242 in the metropolitan area. While owing its early growth to the fur trade, the city is a leading producer of aircraft, chemical and pharmaceutical products, and is a major petroleum production center. Nearly half of Canada's .8 billion aerospace industry is located in the Montreal area.