Halifax, the capital and largest municipality of Nova Scotia, is a vibrant city that offers a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. As the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada, Halifax is home to approximately 480,582 residents as of 2022. The city is an amalgamation of four former municipalities - Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, and Halifax County, which were unified in 1996.
Halifax serves as the economic centre of Atlantic Canada, hosting a variety of government offices and private companies. Major employers in the city include the Department of National Defence, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Saint Mary's University, the Halifax Shipyard, and the Port of Halifax. The city's rural areas are rich in resource industries such as agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry, and natural gas extraction.
Known as Kjipuktuk, meaning "Great Harbour," in the Mi'kmaq language, Halifax has a rich and diverse history. The first permanent European settlement in the region was established on the Halifax Peninsula in 1749, marking the beginning of Father Le Loutre's War. The city's history is also marked by one of the greatest disasters in Canadian history, the Halifax Explosion in 1917, which resulted in approximately 2,000 deaths and nearly 9,000 injuries.
Halifax boasts a diverse geography, with a mix of urban and rural landscapes. The city's climate is a humid continental climate, bordering on an oceanic climate, with warm summers and relatively mild winters. The city's weather is usually milder in the winter or cooler in the summer than areas at similar latitudes inland.
The Halifax Census Metropolitan Area is coterminous with the Municipality of Halifax and the Municipality of East Hants. The total land area of Metropolitan Halifax is 727,622 hectares. The Halifax Regional Municipality occupies an area comparable in size to the total land area of the province of Prince Edward Island.
Halifax is a major cultural centre within the Atlantic provinces. The city is home to a number of art galleries, theatres, and museums, as well as most of the region's national-quality sports and entertainment facilities. Halifax hosts a wide variety of festivals throughout the year, including the largest Canada Day celebration east of Ottawa, the Atlantic Film Festival, the Halifax International Busker Festival, Greekfest, Atlantic Jazz Festival, the Multicultural Festival, Natal Day, Nocturne Festival, the Halifax Pop Explosion, periodic Tall Ship events, the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, and Shakespeare by the Sea—to name a few.
Halifax's urban core is home to a number of regional landmark buildings and retains significant historic buildings and districts. The city also boasts a variety of public spaces, ranging from urban gardens, public squares, expansive forested parks, and historic sites.
Halifax's tourism industry showcases Nova Scotia's culture, scenery, and coastline. The city is home to several museums and art galleries, and the Halifax Harbourwalk, a 3-kilometre boardwalk popular among tourists and locals alike.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Halifax Regional Municipality had a population of 439,819. The human population density of Halifax's population centre was approximately 1,463.1/km2.
Halifax is served by the Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Halifax Transit, Canadian National Railway's transcontinental network, and the Halifax Port Authority. The city has also developed 100 km of bikeways, 89 km of which are dedicated bicycle lanes.
Halifax has established sister city relationships with Hakodate, Japan; Campeche, Mexico; Norfolk, Virginia, United States; and Portsmouth, England.
Halifax has been home to many notable individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields.
