Ottawa, Canada’s Capital, sits on the border between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec in central Canada. It was made capital of the British colonial Province of Canada in 1857. In the 20th century, a much larger Capital region was created to serve as a frame for Canada’s Capital. Since 1969, Ottawa and Gatineau (two cities that face each other across the broad Ottawa River) and the surrounding urban and rural communities have been formally recognized as Canada’s Capital Region.

The Capital Region

• encompasses 4,715 square kilometres of river valley, mountains, wetlands and fields
• stretches out on both sides of the Ottawa River to include parts of two Canadian provinces — Ontario (to the south) and Quebec (to the north)
• lies at 79 metres above sea level
• enjoys a “continental” climate (hot and humid in summer, cold and snowy in winter)
• contains two major cities — Ottawa and Gatineau — as well as numerous small towns
• has a population of 1.081 million (as of 2000)
• is one of Canada’s most bilingual communities, with nearly half a million people speaking both English and French
• 

A capital is more than a city; it is an expression of the country in general and a gathering place for its citizens. Canada’s Capital Region belongs to all Canadians. Even more importantly, it represents them, as

• The seat of government
• A place of national symbols
• Canada’s face to the world
• A cultural showcase

Ottawa was named the capital of the Province of Canada in 1857. At this time, Ottawa was a plain little industrial town in the middle of nowhere. The transformation started in 1859, when work began on a series of grand new Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. The legislature of the Province of Canada sat for the first and last time in these new buildings in 1866. The very next year, Canada was created as a new independent nation, and the first government of the Dominion of Canada assembled in Ottawa. However, its history goes back much further than that.