Georef	Georef
BFDF	Block Face Data File
PCC	Postal Code Counts
PCCF	Postal Code Conversion File
PCFRF	Postal Code Federal Riding File

DBF	Digital Boundary Files
DCF	Digital Cartographic Files
SNF	Street Network Files
SNFEF	Street Network and Feature Extension Files

10	Newfoundland
11	Prince Edward Island
12	Nova Scotia
13	New Brunswick
24	Quebec
35	Ontario
46	Manitoba
47	Saskatchewan
48	Alberta
59	British Columbia
60	Yukon Territory
61	Northwest Territories

001	St. John's
205	Halifax
305	Moncton
310	Saint John
408	Chicoutimi-Jonquiere
421	Quebec
433	Sherbrooke
442	Trois-Rivieres
459	Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
462	Montreal
505	Ottawa-Hull
521	Kingston
522	Belleville
529	Peterborough
532	Oshawa
535	Toronto
537	Hamilton
539	St. Catharines-Niagara
541	Kitchener
543	Brantford
550	Guelph
555	London
559	Windsor
562	Sarnia
568	Barrie
575	North Bay
580	Sudbury
590	Sault Ste. Marie
595	Thunder Bay
602	Winnipeg
705	Regina
725	Saskatoon
810	Lethbridge
825	Calgary
830	Red Deer
835	Edmonton
915	Kelowna
925	Kamloops
932	Abbotsford
933	Vancouver
935	Victoria
938	Nanaimo
970	Prince George

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GLOSSARY:

The geographic terms are presented here in summary form only. Please refer to the 1996 Census Dictionary (Catalogue 92-351XPE) for the full definitions.

Adjusted Counts. The term "adjusted counts" refers to previous census population and dwelling counts which have been adjusted (i.e. re-compiled) to reflect current census boundaries when a boundary change occurred between the two censuses.

Block-face. A block-face is one side of a city street between two consecutive street intersections. Block-faces are also formed when streets intersect other visible physical features (such as railroads, power transmission lines, and rivers) and when streets intersect with enumeration area boundaries.

Census Agglomeration (CA). A census agglomeration (CA) is a 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 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. CAs 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 (PCAs).

Census Agricultural Region (CAR). Census agricultural regions are subprovincial geographic areas made up of groups of adjacent census divisions. In Saskatchewan, census agricultural regions are made up of groups of adjacent census consolidated subdivisions, but these groups do not necessarily respect census division boundaries.

Census Consolidated Subdivisions (CCS). A census consolidated subdivision (CCS) is a grouping of census subdivisions. Generally, these smaller, more urban census subdivisions (towns, villages, etc.) are combined with the surrounding, larger, more rural census subdivision, in order to create a geographic level between the census subdivision and the census division.

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 counties, regional districts, regional municipalities, and other types of provincially legislated areas. In Newfoundland, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, provincial law does not provide for these administrative geographic areas. Therefore, census divisions have been created by Statistics Canada in cooperation with these provinces for the dissemination of statistical data. In the Yukon Territory, the census division is equivalent to the entire territory.

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 (CAs) if they are socially and economically integrated. This new grouping is known as a consolidated CMA and the component CMA and CA(s) are known as the primary census metropolitan area (PCMA) and primary census agglomeration(s) (PCA(s). 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 Tract (CT). Census tracts (CTs) are small geographic units representing urban or rural neighbourhood-like communities created in census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations (with an urban core population of 50,000 or more at the previous census). CTs are initially delineated by a committee of local specialists (for example, planners, health and social workers, educators) in conjunction with Statistics Canada. Once a census metropolitan area (CMA) or census agglomeration (CA) has been subdivided into census tracts, the census tracts are maintained even if the urban core population of the CMA or CA subsequently declines below 50,000.

Consolidated Census Agglomeration (Consolidated CA). A consolidated census agglomeration (consolidated CA) is a grouping of adjacent census agglomerations (CAs) that are socially and economically integrated. Adjacent CAs 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 smaller CA. Several CAs may be consolidated with a larger CA; each pair of CAs is evaluated for inclusion. For example, the consolidated Chatham CA is composed of the Chatham PCA and the Wallaceburg PCA.

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 agglomeration(s) CA(s) 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 CAs may be consolidated with a CMA; each CMA-CA combination is evaluated for inclusion. For example, the consolidated Toronto CMA is composed of the Toronto PCMA and the PCAs of Georgina, Milton, Halton Hills, Orangeville, and Bradford West Gwillimbury.

Coordinate System. A coordinate system is a mathematical method for specifying location. The coordinates can be spherical (latitude and longitude) or plane rectangular (such as Universal Transverse Mercator).

Designated Place (DPL). Designated place refers to areas created by provinces to provide services and structure to 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.

Digital Boundary Files (DBFs). Digital boundary files (DBFs) are computer files that depict the official boundaries of standard census geographic areas. The boundaries sometimes extend beyond shorelines into water.

Digital Cartographic Files (DCFs). Digital cartographic files (DCFs) are computer files that depict boundaries of standard census geographic areas which have been modified to follow shorelines and to include lakes.

Economic Region (ER). An economic region is a grouping of complete census divisions (with one exception in Ontario). Prince Edward Island and the two territories each consist of one economic region. Economic regions are used to analyse regional economic activity.

Ecumene. Ecumene is a term used by geographers to mean inhabited land. Generally, it refers to land where people have their permanent home, and to all work areas that are considered occupied and used for agricultural or any other economic purposes. Thus, there can be various types of ecumenes, each having their own unique characteristics (such as population ecumene, agricultural ecumene, industrial ecumene, etc.).

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.

Forward Sortation Area (FSA). 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.

Geocoding. This is the process of assigning geographic identifiers (codes) to map features and data records. The resulting geocodes permit data to be linked geographically. Statistics Canada’s geocoding service links census households to small geographic units. This process makes it possible to produce census data tabulations for non-standard geographic areas such as provincial and municipal electoral districts, local planning areas, and school districts.

Geographic Code. A geographic code is a unique number used to identify and access standard geographic areas for the purposes of data storage, retrieval and display.

Geographic Reference Date. The geographic reference date is 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.

Land Area. Land area refers to the area in square kilometres of the land-based portions of the census geographic areas.

Map Projection. A map projection is both the process and result of transforming positions on the spherical surface of the earth onto a plane (flat) surface.

Place Name. Place name is a general term for localities which have a sense of place, such as cities,urban areas, neighbourhoods, post offices, communities and unincorporated places. Place names also include the names of uninhabited places, historical municipality names, alternative names and spellings of places.

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.

Primary Census Metropolitan Area (PCMA). A census metropolitan area that is a component of a consolidated census metropolitan area is referred to as a primary census metropolitan area (PCMA).

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).

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.

Reference Map. Census reference maps show the location of the geographic areas for which census data are tabulated and disseminated. The main information depicted includes the boundaries, names and codes of census geographic areas, and major physical and cultural features such as roads, railroads, coastlines, rivers and lakes.

Representative Point. A representative point is a single point that represents a linear feature (block-face) or an areal feature (enumeration area). The point’s location generally indicates either dwelling concentrations or centrality.

Rural Area. Rural areas are sparsely populated lands lying outside urban areas.

Standard Geographical Classification (SGC). The Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) is Statistics Canada’s official classification of geographic areas in Canada. The SGC provides unique numeric identification (codes) for three types of geographic areas. These are provinces and territories, census divisions (CDs), and census subdivisions (CSDs). The three geographic areas are hierarchically related.

Street Network Files (SNFs). The street network files (SNFs) are digital files representing the street network for most large urban centres in Canada. The files also contain other visible physical and cultural features (such as hydrography, railroads, pipelines) and attribute information (for example, street and hydrographic names, and address ranges for streets with assigned addresses).

Unincorporated Place (UP). Statistics Canada defines an unincorporated place (UP) as a cluster of five or more dwellings (i.e. a settlement), locally known by a specific name, but lacking legal limits or local government. Unincorporated places are found only in rural 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).

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.

Urban fringe is the urban area within a CMA or CA that is not contiguous to the urban core.

Rural fringe is all territory within a CMA or CA not classified as urban core or urban fringe.

Urban Population Size Group. Urban population size group refers to the classification used in tabulations where urban areas are distributed according to the following size groups, based on the current census population:

Under 1,000
1,000 - 2,499
2,500 - 4,999
5,000 - 9,999
10,000 - 24,999
25,000 - 49,999
50,000 - 99,999
100,000 - 249,999
250,000 - 499,999
500,000 - 999,999
1,000,00 and over

Usual Place of Residence. In general, the usual place of residence is the dwelling in Canada where a person lives most of the time. It is the basis upon which individuals are assigned geographic location for collection, processing and dissemination.