Toronto, Ontario

Toronto is Canada's largest city and the capital of the province of Ontario. In 2006, it had a population of 2.5 million while 5.1 million people, close to half the population of Ontario, lived in the census metropolitan area.

The city is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario. Its current boundaries were established on January 1, 1998 when the province of Ontario amalgamated the former City of Toronto with its five nearest suburbs: Etobicoke, York, North York, East York and Scarborough. The currrent city government consists of a mayor and 57 councillors.

Toronto is the heart of a larger region known as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

The city is the financial capital of Canada. Its financial industry is referred to as Bay Street after the former location of the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Landmarks include the CN Tower, one of the world's tallest structures, as well as its provincial legislature Queen's Park.

The city is home to three universities, the University of Toronto, York University and Ryerson University. Other major cultural institutions include the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO).

Toronto is also a media center. It is home to four major English-language dailies: the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the Toronto Sun and the National Post. Toronto's large immigrant population has given birth to a thriving ethnic press that publishes both in English and other languages. The Canadian Broadcasting Centre is located in the city.