Toronto, Canada With almost 10 million inhabitants, Toronto is the largest metropolitan area in Canada and the 4th largest in north America. This metropolitan area is nicknamed “the Golden Horseshoe” because of its shape surrounding the Ontario Lake. The land where the city sits was bought by the British to the Mississaugas natives. The city was officially founded in 1793. It was originally named York. During the second independence war of the USA, also called the 1812 war, the city was the theater of massive battles. The city was renamed Toronto in 1832, to avoid confusion with the city of New York, which was rapidly growing. Toronto signifies “the place where tree roots soak in water” in Mohawk language. During the years 1850, the city was the main destination for many immigrants from Europe, especially for the Irish people suffering from hunger. The Irish were the largest ethnic group at the time. In 1867, the British territories of North America became the Dominion of Canada. This administration gives Canada more autonomy but is still dependent on the UK. The city was designed to be Ontario’s capital, but not Canada’s capital. The city of Ottawa was chosen by Queen Victoria as a compromise between the major cities in Canada and to avoid conflict with the largest french speaking population. At the time, Montréal was the largest city in Canada. Immigration kept going on with new communities from all over the world . The million inhabitants was reached in 1951. The city was booming and the skyscrapers began to rise up. Toronto became the largest city in 1976, before Montreal. The same year, the CN tower was inaugurated. With 553m (1815ft) high it was the highest free standing structure of the world until 2007. It can not be considered as a building because of its lack of habitable floor area. Today, Toronto is a vibrant multicultural and attractive city. Also, its quality of life is often awarded prizes in international rankings although it is one of the most expensive cities in Canada to live in. Social inequalities remain very strong in the city. #toronto #canada #cntower #city3D #googleearth #foryou #pourtoi - @city_3d