What do the locations of Montreal and Los Angeles have in common

Both Montreal and Los Angeles are two of the most important cities in Canada and the United States, respectively. In both cases, it is the second most populated city in each country, in addition to being industrial and economic poles of their respective regions.

Geographically, both cities have the coincidence that they are on the banks of water courses of great importance for the commercial and economic development of these cities: thus, Los Angeles is located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, which opens the doors to trade with the East; while Montreal is on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River, which connects the city with the Atlantic Ocean.

a phrase from a poem by ralph waldo emerson about the battle of lexington and concord. emerson's words read, “here once the embattled farmers stood / and fired the shot heard round the world.”