The Halifax Regional Municipality is composed of 200 plus communities and neighbourhoods within. The urban area comprises the Halifax Metropolitan Area and the Dartmouth Metropolitan Area; the term "metropolitan area" was assigned by the government of Nova Scotia to refer to the geographic areas comprising the dissolved cities of Halifax and Dartmouth.[1] The "urban core" is the HRM term that describes the most built up areas of the region, on the Halifax Peninsula and inside the circumferential highway in Dartmouth. The "urban area" describes the urban areas surrounding Halifax Harbour which overlap into built-up suburban areas such as Bedford and the Sackville River valley. The "Capital District" is Nova Scotia's centre of business, government, events and attractions. The district includes Downtown Halifax, the Quinpool district, Spring Garden and Downtown Dartmouth areas. It comprises the metropolitan areas of Halifax and Dartmouth, which are the boundaries of these former cities.[2]
