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'Halifax Regional Municipality' is located on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. The municipality's name is commonly shortened using the acronym 'HRM' and often simply, although incorrectly, as 'Halifax' (IPA: /hæl.ɪ.fæks/).
The population in 2006 was 372,679[1]; the urban area of HRM had a population of 282,924 [2], giving the municipality the largest urban area in the Atlantic Provinces and largest population centre in Canada east of Québec City.
The first permanent European settlement in the area was the establishment of the ''Town of Halifax'' in 1749 , with other towns and villages were settled throughout the region in the decades that followed. In 1996 the provincial government amalgamated all municipal governments within Halifax County to create HRM, a regional municipality comprising approximately 200 individual neighbourhoods and communities (placenames) for civic addressing grouped into 18 planning areas for zoning purposes.
The Halifax urban area is a major economic centre in eastern Canada with a large concentration of government services and private sector companies. Major employers and economic generators include the Department of National Defense, various levels of government, and the Port of Halifax. Agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry and natural gas extraction are major resource industries found in the rural areas of HRM.

Contents

History

Geography

Urban-rural characteristics

Neighbourhoods and communities

Climate

Economy

Government

Education

Culture

Sport

Media

Transportation

Buildings and structures

Demographics

Ethnic origins

Religious belief

Sister cities

Major parks

Consular representation

Notables

See also

External links

History

Main articles: History of the Halifax Regional Municipality


The Halifax Regional Municipality is one of the newest municipalities in the province, in terms of date of incorporation, therefore most of its history relates to the issues relating to municipal amalgamation.
HRM was formed on April 1, 1996 by dissolving and amalgamating the City of Halifax, the City of Dartmouth, the Town of Bedford and Municipality of the County of Halifax.
All municipal services and most of the staff were merged into the new municipal unit. The long name of the municipality was quickly shortened by media, residents and politicians to the acronym "HRM," which is commonly heard. The urban area of the HRM is commonly referred to as ''Halifax Metro.''

Geography

Main articles: Geography of the Halifax Regional Municipality

The Halifax Regional Municipality occupies an area of 5,577 square kilometres (2,353 sq mi) [3],(approximately 10% of Nova Scotia) comparative to the province of Prince Edward Island, and measures approximately 165 kilometres (102.5 mi) in length between its eastern and western-most extremities.
The coastline is heavily indented, accounting for its length of approximately 400 kilometres (250 mi), with the northern boundary usually being between 50-60 kilometres (30-37 mi) inland. The coast is mostly rock with small isolated sand beaches in sheltered bays. The largest bays include St. Margaret's Bay, Halifax Harbour/Bedford Basin, Cole Harbour, Musquodoboit Harbour, Jeddore Harbour, Ship Harbour, Sheet Harbour, and Ecum Secum Harbour. The municipality's topography spans from lush farmland in the Musquodoboit Valley to rocky and heavily forested rolling hills.

Urban-rural characteristics

Main articles: Halifax Urban Area