Toronto

Toronto is the most populous city in Canada, and the capital of the province of Ontario. In 2011, Toronto had a population of 2,615,060,[5] making it the fourth most populous city in North America, after Mexico City, New York City, and Los Angeles. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is the most populous metropolitan area in Canada, with 5,583,064 people living in the census metropolitan area as of 2011. Classified as an alpha global city by the GaWC, Toronto is an international centre of business, finance, arts, and culture. Indigenous peoples have lived for thousands of years in the area that is now Toronto. The urban history of the city dates back to 1793, when British officials negotiated the Toronto Purchase with the Mississaugas of the New Credit. They established the Town of York, which was designated by John Graves Simcoe as the capital of Upper Canada. The town was ransacked in the Battle of York during the War of 1812. York was incorporated as a city and renamed Toronto in 1834, and it was designated as the capital of Ontario in 1867. The city has occasionally expanded its borders through amalgamation with surrounding municipalities, most recently occurring in 1998. This process has left Toronto with over 130 clearly defined neighbourhoods that have each retained their unique and distinctive natures.