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Joining two or more political units, such as municipalities, counties, or cities into one entity is referred to as amalgamation when the process occurs within a sovereign entity. In United States politics, such an entity may be called a consolidated city-county. Unbalanced growth or outward expansion of one neighbor may necessitate an administrative decision to merge; in some cases, common perception of continuity may be a factor in prompting such a process. Some cities (see below) that have gone though amalgamation or a similar process had several administrative sub-divisions or jurisdictions, each with a separate person in charge.

Annexation is similar to amalgamation, but differs in being applied mainly to two cases:

1. The units joined are sovereign entities before the process, as opposed to being units of a single political entity.
2. A city's boundaries are expanded by adding territories not already incoporated as cities or villages.

Notable Amalgamations

Over the years political parties have taken aim at cities as part of a larger political agenda. Often the abolishment of a level of government results in the growth of another level - negating the original purpose of the merger. Some of the more politically charged transformations of city governments has been led by conservative parties, as to target the usually more liberal voting urban regions.

Some of the more notable amalgamations are noted below:

• Within Canada:
  • Metro Toronto - Eliminated by the Mike Harris government as part of the reform package entitled 'Common Sense Revolution', to create the new city of Toronto.
  • City of Ottawa - In 2001, the municipalities of Cumberland, Osgoode, Rideau, Goulbourn, West Carleton, Nepean, Kanata, Gloucester, Vanier and Rockcliffe Park became part of Ottawa.
  • City of Hamilton - In 2001, the former City of Stoney Creek and the former towns of Ancaster, Dundas, Flamborough and Glanbrook merged with the old city of Hamilton to create the new City of Hamilton.
  • Many municipal mergers in the province of Quebec, brought upon in 2002 by the Parti Québécois government, including:
    • Ville de Montréal - On January 1, 2002, the Parti Québécois merged all municipalities on the Island of Montreal into the city of Montreal. On January 1, 2006, the Quebec Liberal Party, granted some of the merged municipalities a return to city status, if more than half the population supported a de-merger.

Further information: Municipal reorganization in Quebec

• United States
  • City of Greater New York

See also

• Combined Statistical Area
• Conurbation
• Ecumenopolis
• Ekistics
• Double placenames
• Independent city, the opposite of a consolidated city-county
• City-State
• Megalopolis (term)
• Megacity
• Metropolitan area
• Metroplex
• Metropolis

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