Toronto is the capital city of the province of Ontario and the largest city in Canada by population.
The city is located on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, which forms part of the border between Canada and the United States.
As of November 2018, the population of Toronto is about 2.75 million people. Its metropolitan area has 5.9 million people.
Toronto covers an area of 630 square kilometers (243 square miles), with a maximum north-south distance of 21 kilometers (13 miles) and a maximum east-west distance of 43 kilometers (27 miles).
It has a 46-kilometer (29 miles) long waterfront shoreline, on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario.
The city is mostly flat or gentle hills and the land gently slopes upward away from the lake.
The elevation of the city range from 75 meters (246 ft) above sea level at the Lake Ontario shore to 209 meters (686 feet) above sea level near the York University grounds in the city’s north end.
People have travelled through and inhabited the Toronto area, situated on a broad sloping plateau interspersed with rivers, deep ravines, and urban forest, for more than 10,000 years.
Toronto was created in 1793 by John Graves Simcoe as the capital of what was then called “Upper Canada.” At the time it was called the “Town of York” after the Duke of York, but was given its current name in 1834.
With the Canadian Confederation in 1867 it became the capital of the newly created province of Ontario.
Since the second half of the 20th century the city has grown phenomenally, from a rather sedate provincial town — “Toronto the Good” — to a lively, thriving, cosmopolitan metropolitan area.
Today, Toronto is a center of business, finance, arts, and culture, and is recognized as one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world.
The CN Tower is a 553.3 m-high (1,815.3 ft) concrete communications and observation tower located in Downtown Toronto. When construction of the CN Tower was complete in 1976 it became the world’s tallest free-standing structure and world’s tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of Burj Khalifa and Canton Tower in 2010.
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is a public aquarium in Toronto. It is located in downtown Toronto, just southeast of the CN Tower. The aquarium has 5.7 million litres (1.5 million gallons) of marine and freshwater habitats from across the world. The exhibits hold more than 20,000 exotic sea and freshwater specimens from more than 450 species.
The Royal Ontario Museum is a museum of art, world culture and natural history in Toronto. It is one of the largest museums in North America, and the largest in Canada. It attracts more than one million visitors every year, making the Royal Ontario Museum the most visited museum in Canada. With more than six million items and forty galleries, the museum’s diverse collections of world culture and natural history contribute to its international reputation.
Standing in beautifully kept grounds, Casa Loma is an extraordinary building somewhat reminiscent of a medieval castle. It was originally constructed for Sir Henry Pellatt, an eccentric Canadian multi-millionaire who was among the first to recognize and exploit the money-making potential of Niagara Falls. With close to 100 rooms, including three dozen bathrooms, the house is now a museum.
Immediately adjacent to the CN Tower is Rogers Center, a massive domed sports arena. The unique design includes a roof, which slides back, allowing it to be opened in favorable weather. This mega-structure, completed in 1989, is Toronto’s answer to the ambitious Olympic Stadium built by its arch rival, Montréal. Rogers Centre can accommodate many thousands of spectators and is a venue for every kind of sport, baseball and football in particular, as well as for rock and pop concerts.
St. Lawrence Market is a major public market in Toronto. It houses a variety of vendors selling various food products, flowers, and specialty items. The St. Lawrence Hall was built in Toronto in 1850 and served as a public meeting place and a concert venue. The hall was restored in 1967, but has retained much of its old charm. The building provides a unique atmosphere for the market and is also occasionally used for film and television shoots.
Toronto attract over 25 million tourists each year.
The low crime rate in Toronto has resulted in the city having a reputation as one of the safest major cities in North America.
More than 50 percent of residents belong to a visible minority population group, and over 200 distinct ethnic origins are represented among its inhabitants.
While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, over 160 languages are spoken in the city.
Toronto is a city of high-rises, having 1,800 buildings over 30 meters (98 ft).