Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. The Relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, land was first STI When Purchased by the British monarchy from the Mississaugas of the New Credit. The settlement was later established to the Town of York and the proclaimed the new capital of Upper Canada by ITS lieutenant-governor, John Graves Simcoe. In 1834, York was incorporated as a city and renamed to ITS present name. The city was ransacked in the Battle of York During the War of 1812 and damaged in two great fires in 1849 and in 1904. Since ITS Incorporation, Toronto has expanded ITS Repeatedly borders through amalgamation with surrounding Municipalities, most recently in 1998.
With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous city in North America. Its metropolitan area with over five million residents is the seventh largest urban region in North America. Toronto is at the heart of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and is part of a densely populated region in Southern Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe, Which is home to over 8.1 million residents-Approximately 25% of Canada's population. The census metropolitan area (CMA) Had a Population of 5,113,149, and the Greater Toronto Area Had a Population of 5,555,912 in the 2006 Census. Its cosmopolitan and international ITS Population Reflects the role an important destination for immigrants to Canada. Toronto is one of the world's most diverse cities by percentage of non-native-born residents, with about 49% of the Population born outside Canada.