Ontario

Guide Note

Canada's most populous province, Ontario is located in central Canada between Hudson's Bay to the north and the Great Lakes to the south. To the west is the province of Manitoba, Quebec is to the east and the American states of Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania lie along the southern border. Both Canada's largest city, Toronto, and its capital, Ottawa are found in Ontario, which is home to over twelve million residents.

Fast Facts

1. Name is derived from a Huron word meaning "great lake"
2. Capital: Toronto
3. Population: 12,726,336
4. Area: 415,598 square miles
5. Temperature range: Over 30°C to - 40°C
6. Highest point: Ishpatina Ridge, 2,270 feet
7. 35% of Canada's total population lives in Ontario
8. Second largest province in Canada next to Quebec
9. Official emblems: white trillium (flower), Eastern white pine (tree), common loon (bird), Amethyst (mineral)

Southern Ontario is heavily populated and provides rich farming grounds and deciduous forest, while the north is comprised mostly of grassy lowlands. Between these two zones lies the mineral-rich, rocky Canadian Shield. The same glaciers that shaped the northern shield also created over 250,000 lakes, which provide over 30% of the world's fresh water.