subject: Toronto, Ontario Canada's Big City [print this page] Toronto, Ontario Canada's Big City Toronto, Ontario Canada's Big City
The city of Toronto is found in the province of Ontario in Canada. The city is the capital of the province and Canada's largest metropolitan center. Located in southwestern Ontario, the city sits by the shorelines of Lake Ontario. Toronto is typically known for its financial and economic districts including large corporations and the Toronto Stock Exchange. Facets in the economy comprise of: media, television, telecommunications, transportation, medical research, software production and others.
Almost half the city's population is made up of immigrants, creating an ethnically diverse core. The name of Toronto is believed to be from an Iroquois word loosely translated to refer to trees standing in the water. The area was inhabited first by Iroquois and Huron native tribes before European settlers (mainly of Irish descent) came to the area. The city was made official in March 1834 and has grown tremendously since.
The city scenery is marked by long waterfront shores, the Toronto Harbour and islands. The zone of Toronto is 243 square miles (630 square km). The edges of the city are marked by Lake Ontario and Etobicoke Creek in the south, the Rouge River to the east with highway 427 to the west and Steeles Avenue to the north.
Escarpments, bluffs, ravines and island have been crafted as a result of sediment build up from tributaries emptying into the Toronto Harbour. Thick forests have grown in the ravine areas. Due to the forested regions that have grown, parks, outdoor sites and leisure trails have been developed to take advantage. Though the ravines make for faster drainage during rainfall, flooding can still occur. The range in city elevation is from 686 feet (209 m) right down to 246 feet (75 m).
Demographic Facts
The most recent census (2006) displayed Toronto's population to be 2.5 million. The metro population is 5.1 million. The typical age in the city is 36.9. People aged 65 and older comprise 13.6% of the population. The majority of the population is made up of European descent people groups while the rest are immigrants (49%). Cultural centers such as Kensington Market, Little India, Greektown, Chinatown and Little Italy are a few of the areas of the city designated to cater to people groups. Obvious minorities make up 46% of the population. Some groups include: Filipino, South Asian, Latin American, Black and Chinese. The city's gender breakdown is: 54% female to 48% male.
Around 100,000 immigrants arrive in Toronto annually, making the city extremely diverse. While English remains the dominant spoken language in the city, Chinese and Italian are widely used frequently at work. Emergency services now can respond to calls in 150 different languages.
Local climate
The environment in Toronto can be classified as being humid and moderate. Summers in the city are warm and muggy while the winters are cold. Seasonal changes are very distinct in Toronto and the city experiences large variances in daily temperatures usually during the winter months.
The urban nature of the city and location in the vicinity of the water provides steady temperatures in the core of the city. The lake does account for various conditions like fog, seasonal lags, and winds that come off the water making the temperature drop.
The city's ebb and flow sometimes is disrupted due to snowstorms that can be mixed with ice and rain. Accumulating snow ordinarily melts with temperatures averaging 41 to 54 F. Sometimes cold snaps will occur however, dropping temperatures down to 14 F or lower. Summer periods are marked with humidity, and heatwaves. The median summer temperature ranges from 23 C to 31 C, and surpasses 35 C during a heatwave. Thunderstorms are common as is precipitation during the summer.
