The text that follows has been taken from the original published
by Statistics Canada. Some terms that refer specifically to types
of social and political organization peculiar to other provinces
have been removed in the interest of brevity and to avoid
confusion. However, census geography that is not included
in our presentation, such as census agglomerations and census metropolitan
areas, are described here so that users may become familiar with
these definitions. Many of the census publications that can
be ordered from Statistics Canada will include the complete notes.
The definitions of geographic terms and census concepts are
presented here in summary form only. Users should refer to the 1996
Census Dictionary (Statistics Canada Catalogue No. 92-351-XPE) for
the full definitions and additional remarks related to these concepts
and definitions.
Census Agglomeration (CA)
Census Division (CD)
Census Metropolitan area (CMA)
Census Subdivision (CSD)
Census Subdivision Type
Consolidated Census Agglomeration (Consolidated CA)
Consolidated Census Metropolitan Area (Consolidated CMA)
Designated Place (DPL)
Designated Place Type
Enumeration Area (EA)
Federal Electoral District (FED)
Geographic Reference Date
Land Area
Population Density
Postal Code
Primary Census Agglomeration (PCA)
Primary Census Metropolitan Area (PCMA)
Private Dwelling
Province/Territory
Rural Area
Urban Area (UA)
Urban Core, Urban Fringe and Rural Fringe
Census Agglomeration (CA)
A census agglomeration (CA) is a large
urban area (UA)
(known as the urban core) together with adjacent
urban and rural areas (known as
urban and rural fringes) that have a high degree of social and
economic integration with the urban core. A CA has an urban core population
of at least 10,000, based on the previous census.
However, if the population of the urban core of a CA declines below 10,000,
the CA is retired. Once a CA attains an urban core population of at least
100,000, based on the previous census, it is eligible to become a CMA. As that
have urban cores of at least 50,000, based on the previous
census, are subdivided into census tracts. Census
tracts are maintained for CAs even if the population of the urban cores
subsequently falls below 50,000. A CA may be consolidated
with adjacent CAs if they are socially and economically integrated.
This new grouping is called a consolidated CA
and the component CAs are called primary census
agglomerations (PCA).
Census Division (CD)
Census Division (CD) is the general term applied to areas
established by provincial law which are intermediate geographic
areas between the municipality
(census subdivision)
and the province level. Census divisions represent regional
districts and other types of provincially legislated areas.
Census Metropolitan area (CMA)
A census metropolitan area (CMA) is a very large
urban area
(known as the urban core) together with adjacent
urban and rural areas (known as
urban and rural fringes)
that have a high degree of social and economic integration with
the urban core. A CMA has an urban core population of at least 100,000, based
on the previous census. Once an area becomes a CMA, it is
retained as a CMA even if the population of its urban core
declines below 100,000. All CMAs are subdivided into census tracts.
A CMA may be consolidated with adjacent
census agglomerations
(CA) if they are socially and economically integrated. This new grouping is
known as a
consolidated CMA
and the component CMA and CAs are
known as the
primary census metropolitan area (PCMA) and
primary census agglomerations (PCA).
A CMA may not be consolidated with another CMA.
Census Subdivision (CSD)
Census subdivision is the general term applying to municipalities
(as determined by provincial legislation) or their equivalent
(for example, Indian reserves, Indian settlements and unorganized territories).
In Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and British Columbia, the term
also describes geographic areas that have been created by
Statistics Canada in cooperation with the provinces as
equivalents for municipalities for the dissemination of statistical
data.
Census Subdivision Type
Census subdivisions (CSDs) are classified into various types,
according to official designations adopted by provincial or
federal authorities. The type indicates the municipal status of a
census subdivision.
The following list indicates the abbreviations used for census
subdivision types found in British Columbia:
| C | City |
| DM | District Municipality |
| IGD | Indian Government District |
| R | Indian Reserve |
| S-E | Indian Settlement |
| SRD | Subdivision of Regional District |
| T | Town |
| VL | Village |
Consolidated Census Agglomeration (Consolidated CA)
A consolidated census agglomeration (consolidated CA) is a
grouping of adjacent census agglomerations (CA) that are
socially and economically integrated. Adjacent As are
consolidated into a single CA (consolidated CA) if the total
commuting interchange between two CAs is equal to at least
35% of the employed labour force living in the small CA.
Several As may be consolidated with a larger CA; each pair of
As is evaluated for inclusion.
Consolidated Census Metropolitan Area (Consolidated CMA)
A consolidated census metropolitan area (consolidated CMA) is
a grouping of one census metropolitan area (CMA)
and adjacent census agglomerations (CA)
that are socially and economically integrated. An adjacent CMA and CA can be
consolidated into a single CMA (consolidated CMA) if the total
commuting interchange between them is equal to at least 35%
of the employed labour force living in the CA. Several As may
be consolidated with a CMA; each CMA-CA combination is evaluated for inclusion.
Designated Place (DPL)
Designated place refers to areas created by provinces to provide
services and to structure fiscal arrangements for submunicipal
areas which are often within unorganized areas.
The concept of a designated place generally applies to small
communities for which there may be some level of legislation, but
the communities fall below the criteria established for municipal
status, that is, they are "submunicipal" or unincorporated
areas.
Designated Place Type
In British Columbia only the following is used as a designated place type:
IST Island Trust
Enumeration Area (EA)
An enumeration area (EA) is the geographic area canvassed by
one census representative. It is the smallest standard
geographic area for which census data are reported. All the
territory of Canada is covered by EAs.
Federal Electoral District (FED)
A federal electoral district refers to any place or territorial area
entitled to elect a representative member to serve in the House
of Commons (source: Canada Elections Act, 1990). There are
295 FEDs in Canada according to the 1987 Representation
Order and there are 301 FEDs in Canada according to the 1996
Representation Order.
Geographic Reference Date
The geographic reference date is a date determined by Statistics
Canada for the purpose of finalizing the geographic framework
for which census data will be collected, tabulated and reported.
For the 1996 Census, the geographic reference date is January
1, 1996, except for forward sortation areas.
Land Area
Land area refers to the area in square kilometers of the
land-based portions of the census geographic areas.
Land area is manually calculated using a digital planimeter and
paper maps. Only discernible bodies of water found on the maps
are excluded. Land area measurements for census subdivisions
are aggregated to obtain the land areas for other geographic
areas (census metropolitan areas/census agglomerations,
primary census metropolitan areas/primary census
agglomerations, census consolidated subdivisions, census
divisions, economic regions, provinces/territories, and Canada).
Measurements are done separately for each of urban areas,
designated places and census tracts. Land area data are not
available for enumeration areas, federal electoral districts, and
forward sortation areas. Measurements for the geographic
areas reflect the boundaries in effect on January 1, 1996 (the
geographic reference date for the 1996 Census). All
measurements are unofficial and are provided for the sole
purpose of calculating population density.
Population Density
Population density refers to the number of persons per square kilometre.
Postal Code
The postal code is a six-character code defined and maintained
by Canada Post Corporation for sorting and delivering mail.
The first three characters of the postal code identify the forward
sortation area (FSA). Individual FSAs are associated with a
postal facility from which mail delivery originates.
Primary Census Agglomeration (PCA)
A census agglomeration that is a component
of a
consolidated census metropolitan area or
consolidated census agglomeration
is referred to as the primary census agglomeration (PCA).
Primary Census Metropolitan Area (PCMA)
A census metropolitan area that is a
component of a consolidated census metropolitan area
is referred to as a rimary census metropolitan area (PCMA).
Private Dwelling
Refers to a separate set of living quarters with a private entrance
either from outside or from a common hall, lobby, vestibule or
stairway inside the building. The entrance to the dwelling must
be one that can be used without passing through the living
quarters of someone else. The dwelling must meet the three
conditions necessary for year-round occupancy:
(a) a source of heat or power (as evidenced by chimneys, power
lines, oil or gas pipes or meters, generators, woodpiles, electric
lights, heating pumps, solar heating panels, etc.);
(b) access to a source of drinking water throughout the year
(as evidenced by faucets, drain pipes, wells, water pumps, etc.);
(c) an enclosed space that provides shelter from the elements
(as evidenced by complete and enclosed walls and roof, and by
doors and windows that provide protection from wind, rain and snow).
The census classifies private dwellings into regular
private dwellings, marginal dwellings and dwellings
under construction. Regular private dwellings are
further classified into three major groups; occupied dwellings
(occupied by usual residents), unoccupied dwellings and
dwellings occupied by foreign and/or temporary residents.
Marginal dwellings and dwellings under construction are classified as
occupied by usual residents or by foreign and/or temporary
residents. Marginal dwellings and dwellings under construction
that were unoccupied on Census Day are not counted in the
housing stock.
Province/Territory
Province and territory refer to the major political divisions of
Canada. From a statistical point of view, they are a basic unit for
which data are tabulated and cross-classified. The ten provinces
combined with the two territories cover the complete country.
Rural Area
Rural areas are sparsely populated lands lying outside
urban areas.
Urban Area (UA)
Urban areas have minimum population concentrations of 1,000
and a population density of at least 400 per square kilometre,
based on the previous census population counts. All territory
outside urban areas is considered rural. Taken together, urban
and rural areas cover all of Canada.
Urban Core, Urban Fringe and Rural Fringe
The urban core, urban fringe and rural fringe distinguish
between central and peripheral urban and rural areas within a
census metropolitan area (CMA),
primary census metropolitan area (PCMA),
census agglomeration (CA) or
primary census agglomeration (PCA).
An urban core is a large urban area around
which a CMA or a CA is delineated. The urban core must have a population (based
on the previous census) of at least 100,000 in the case of a CMA, or between
10,000 and 99,999 in the case of a CA.
The urban fringe is the urban area within a CMA or CA that
is not contiguous to the urban core.
The rural fringe is all territory within a CMA or CA not classified
as urban core or urban fringe.