Monterrey is the capital city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León and a municipality of the same name. Also known as "Sultana del Norte" (Lady of the North), the city is a modern industrial and business center. The city proper has population of 1.1 million, even though the metropolitan area of Monterrey has a population of 3.8 million. The city is named after the Countess of Monterrei (a city in Galicia, Spain) wife of the Viceroy of New Spain Gaspar de Zúñiga y Acevedo.

Monterrey has a humid subtropical climate. Its weather, though reasonably pleasant in spring and autumn, is hot in the summer; the average high reaches 35 °C (95 °F) in August, with an average low of 23 °C (74 °F). Winters are cool but not cold. The average January high is 19 °C (67 °F) and the average low in January is 8 °C (48 °F); however, temperatures below freezing are rare. Rainfall is scarce, but more prominent during May through September. Humidity in winter can be high, although without showers. Snowfall is a very rare event.

Monterrey is a major industrial center among cities in Mexico , producing a GDP of 78.5 billion US dollars (2006). The city's GDP per capita in 2006 was 21,788 US dollars. The city was ranked the 2 to do business in Mexico and in 2005 and currently is ranked as the third best by the América Economía magazine.

As a result of its strong steel industry, it is often called "the Pittsburgh of Mexico". The city has prominent positions in sectors such as steel, cement, glass, auto parts, and beer. In 1999 Fortune magazine recognized Monterrey as the best city in Latin America in which to do business. The magazine attributes its economic wealth in part to its proximity with the United States-Mexican border and mentions Monterrey as a significant city with economic links to the United States.

The industrialization process was accelerated in the mid 19th Century by the Compañia Fundidora de Fierro y Acero Monterrey a steel-processing company. Nowadays Monterrey is home of transnational conglomerates such as Cemex (world's third largest cement company), FEMSA (Coca-Cola Latin America), Alfa (petrochemicals, food, telecommunications and auto parts), Axtel (telecommunications), Vitro (glass), Selther (leading mattress and rest systems firm in Latin America), Gruma (food), and Banorte (financial services). The FEMSA corporation owns a large brewery, the Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma that produces the brands Sol, Tecate, Indio, Dos Equis and Carta Blanca among others. By the end of the same year, there were more than 13,000 manufacturing companies, 55,000 retail stores, and more than 52,000 service firms in Monterrey.[28]. Monterrey accounts for about 95% of the State of Nuevo Leon's GDP, and 30% of Mexico's manufactured exports.

The metals sector, dominated by iron and steel, accounted for 6 percent of manufacturing GNP in 1994. The steel industry is centered in Monterrey, where the country's first steel mills opened in 1903. Steel processing plants in Monterrey, privatized in 1986, accounted for about half of Mexico's total steel output in the early 1990s.

Monterrey was ranked 94 worldwide and 5 in Latin America in terms of Quality of Life according to Mercer Human Resource Consulting (2006), and was ranked number 2 in 2005 and number 4 in 2006, according to America Economia.

Monterrey is also a great city to do shopping. Some of the shopping malls in the city include, Paseo San Pedro, Plaza Fiesta San Agustín, Galerías Monterrey, and Galerías Valle Oriente, which distribute goods and services to the Mexican population.

The city in considered one of the main educational centers in Mexico. Monterrey's population is the most educated in Mexicoand the city on a per capita basis has more colleges, universities and institutes of technology, than any other Mexican city.

The Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (Autonomous University of Nuevo León, UANL), is the third largest Mexican university and is ranked by the Reader's Digest-AC Nielsen Survey 2005 as the top public university in northeast Mexico.] Its main campus, Ciudad Universitaria (University City), covers approximately 67,630,000 square metres (17,000 acres). The UANL system comprises 26 colleges (faculties), 22 graduate divisions, 24 high schools, 1 center of bilingual education and 3 technical high schools.

Monterrey is the headquarters of the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Studies, ITESM or "Tec de Monterrey"), a private university ranked by the Reader's Digest-AC Nielsen Survey 2005 as the top university (public or private) in all Mexico. As the center of its own educational network, it has 33 campuses and exchange agreements with more than 400 universities world-wide.

Founded in 1969 with the support of local leading multinational corporations such as CEMEX, ALFA, FEMSA, GAMESA, PROTEXA & CYDSA, the Universidad Regiomontana is a private university offering preparatory, undergraduate and graduate programs. With agreements with more than 200 universities across the globe, it is member of GATE (Global Alliance for Transnational Education), FIMPES (Federación de Instituciones Mexicanas Particulares de Educación Superior) and holds an ISO 9001 Certification. Its urban campus attracts many working professionals who complement and enrich the academic experience.

Other universities include University of Monterrey (UDEM) and the Universidad del Norte (UN).

The Biblioteca Central located at the Macroplaza, the Biblioteca Magna Universitaria[35] and the Biblioteca Alfonsina within the UANL University campus, are the main public libraries in the city.

ASFM is a K-12 international day school with English as the language of instruction.

The most traditional dish from Monterrey is cabrito al pastor, kid goat cooked on embers based on the Jewish cuisine of the founders of the city. Other local dishes and customs that perhaps date back to the Crypto-Judaism of these founders are the "semita" (bread without leavening), the capirotada dessert (a mix of cooked bread, cheese, raisins, peanuts, and crystallized sugarcane juice), and the relative absence of pork dishes. Another famous local dish is machacado con huevo, prepared eggs, dry beef and salsa.

Carne asada (grilled beef) on weekends remains one of the most cherished traditions in Monterrey's families. When people gather to celebrate birthdays, family reunions, soccer games or just to share time with their friends, carne asada is a must. It is usually served with grilled onions, baked potatoes and sausages or chopped as tacos. Carne asada gatherings generally take place in the afternoons opposed to central Mexico tradition of having carne asada between 2 and 4pm. Locally brewed beer and cola soft drinks are an almost mandatory part of the weekly ritual. The traditional desserts, "glorias" and "obleas," are both traditional candies from Nuevo León.

Although not still comparable with the kaleidoscopic gastronomy of Mexico City and some major Mexican beach resorts, several good restaurants offering Italian, Chinese, Mediterranean, German, Japanese, and Argentinian food can be found throughout downtown Monterrey, Southern Monterrey (Valle Alto) and San Pedro Garza Garcia suburb.