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Ottawa

Capital of CanadaOttawa is in south-eastern Ontario, where the Rideau River flows into the Ottawa River. Here the Ottawa River forms the border with Quebec, and the city of Gatineau lies on the other bank.

Why it's the capital

For decades, politicians in the Province of Canada argued about which city should be the capital. In 1857 Queen Victoria chose Ottawa, which suited both Upper and Lower Canada and was easier to defend, being surrounded by forest and far from the US border.

Fun facts

  1. The town began in 1826 and was called Bytown after Colonel John By, who led the building of the Rideau Canal; it took the name Ottawa in 1855.
  2. The name comes from the Ottawa River, whose name comes from the Algonquin word adawe, meaning 'to trade'.
  3. In winter a 7.8 km stretch of the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that opened in 1832, becomes a skating rink through central Ottawa.

Finding it on the globe

Follow the Ottawa River upstream from Montreal along the Ontario–Quebec border. Ottawa sits on its south bank, between Montreal and Toronto but much closer to Montreal.

Easy to mix up

Many players tap Toronto, Canada's most populous city, or Montreal. Both wanted to be the capital in the 1800s, but Ottawa was chosen.

Sources: Wikipedia: Ottawa, Wikipedia: Ottawa River, Wikipedia: Rideau Canal, Wikipedia: Toronto