Winnipeg is the capital and largest city in the Canadian province of Manitoba with a population of 705,244 and a metro population of 778,489 based on the 2016 Canadian census. Its city and metro land areas are respectively 464.09 and 5,306.79 square kilometers. Thus, the city and metro population densities are respectively 1,430 and 146.70 per square kilometers.
Winnipeg is a confluence of the Assiniboine and Red rivers. The city got its name from the nearby Lake Winnipeg, which means muddy water in Western Cree. It is a popular trading center, even before the arrival of Europeans to the region. The city has a diversified economy (one of the most diversified in Canada) and it is a hub for railway and transportation – this earned it the name “the Gateway to the West”.
15.2% of Winnipeg residents are employed in the trade industry, 9.8% are employed in manufacturing, 7.7% in education, while 15.2% are employed in the health care and social assistance sector. As of 2012, the city has about 21,000 employers with the government and government-funded institutions being the largest employer in the city. About 54,000 residents are employed in the public sector as of 2008.
Some of the major employers in the private sector include Manitoba Telecom Services, Motor Coach Industries, Shaw Communications, Magella Aerospace, Boeing Canada Technology, StandardAero, and so forth. Furthermore, KPMG ranked the city of Winnipeg as the least expensive place to do business in Canada.
Winnipeg is one of the most notable places in Canada in terms of culture. Canadian Heritage named it the Cultural Capital of Canada in 2010. It has several cultural assets, parks, museums, and festivals.
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