A metropolitan area (or census metropolitan area in Statistics Canada terminology) includes a large urban centre and surrounding municipalities that are economically and socially integrated, typically through commuting patterns. Examples include Greater Toronto, Metro Vancouver, and the Calgary region. Metropolitan areas often cross multiple municipal boundaries, creating challenges for coordinated planning, transit, and service delivery. Statistics Canada defines CMAs as areas with populations over 100,000 where at least half live in the core. Metropolitan governance varies, with some regions having formal regional governments while others rely on voluntary cooperation between independent municipalities sharing a common urban geography.