Census metropolitan areas A "census metropolitan area" (CMA) is a grouping of census subdivisions comprising a large urban area (the "urban core") and those surrounding "urban fringes" with which it is closely integrated. To become a CMA, an area must register an urban core population of at least 100,000 at the previous census. CMA status is retained even if this core population later drops below 100,000. CMAs may cross census division and therefore provincial boundaries, although the
Ottawa-
Gatineau metropolitan area in
Ontario and
Quebec is the only one that currently crosses a provincial border. The methodology used by Statistics Canada does not allow for CMA-CMA mergers into larger statistical areas; consequently, there is no Canadian equivalent to the
combined statistical areas of the United States. Statistics Canada has stated that
Toronto,
Oshawa and
Hamilton could be merged into a single CSA were such an approach utilized. Statistics Canada has described the
Greater Golden Horseshoe as the country's largest
urban area.
Census agglomerations A "census agglomeration" (CA) is a smaller version of a CMA in which the urban core population at the previous census was greater than 10,000 but less than 100,000. If the population of an urban core is less than 50,000, it is the starting point for the construction of a 'census agglomeration'.
Census tracts CMAs and CAs with a population greater than 50,000 are subdivided into census tracts which have populations ranging from 2,500 to 8,000.
Population centres A population centre (PC), formerly known as an
urban area (UA), is any grouping of contiguous dissemination areas that has a minimum population of 1,000 and an average population density of 400 persons per square kilometre or greater. For the 2011 census, urban area was renamed "population centre". In 2011, Statistics Canada identified 942 population centres in Canada. Some population centres cross municipal boundaries and not all municipalities contain a population centre while others have more than one. The population centre level of geography is further divided into the following three groupings based on population:
Localities A "
locality" (LOC) is a historical named location or place. The named location may be a former census subdivision, a former urban area, or a former designated place. It may also refer to neighbourhoods, post offices, communities and unincorporated places among other entities.
Electoral districts Statistics Canada also aggregates data by federal
electoral districts, one purpose for which is the
redrawing of district boundaries every ten years. Federal electoral districts are numerically indexed; each district receives a unique five-digit code, with the first two digits being the
Standard Geographical Classification code for the province or territory in which the district is located. == See also ==