Toronto is Canada's largest city with a metropolitan population of over 5 million located on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario, and is the provincial capital of Ontario. Toronto is a global city, exerting significant regional, national, and international influence, and is one of the world's most multicultural and ethnically diverse cities. It is Canada's financial centre and economic engine, as well as one of the country's most important cultural, artistic, and health sciences centres. Toronto was named the world's most livable city in 1994 by The Economist. It was displaced in 2005 by Vancouver, but is still ranked among the top ten.

The City of Toronto covers an area of 641 km? (247 square miles) and is bounded by Lake Ontario to the south, Etobicoke Creek and Highway 427 to the west, Steeles Avenue to the north, and the Rouge River to the east. In addition to Etobicoke Creek and the Rouge River, the city is intersected by two major rivers and their tributaries, the Humber River in the west end and the Don River just east of the central core. The concentration and protection of ravines allows for large tracts of densely forested valleys with recreational trails within the city. However, the ravines also interfere with the city's street grid, and many of the major thoroughfares such as Finch Avenue, Lawrence Avenue, St. Clair Avenue and Keele Street are interrupted by ravines. Many others, such as Bloor Street/Danforth Avenue require large bridges to cross the ravines.