Ottawa, located between the much bigger cities of Montreal and Toronto, was chosen as the capital of Canada in 1857. Lying on the border between Canada East and Canada West, it seemed the ideal compromise in a country divided into English speaking and French-speaking communities. Today, Ottawa has around 850,000 inhabitants and houses many of Canada’s national museums and art galleries. The Rideau Canal passes through the city, linking Ottawa with Lake Ontario. In summer, the canal is used for boating, swimming, and fishing; in winter, it becomes the longest ice-skating rink in the world.

Ottawa is well served by transportation systems, including railroads that provide frequent passenger service, a good network of motorways, and major roads in and around the metropolitan area. There are also an international airport and two regional airports. Regional mass transit is centred on a system of dedicated bus rapid-transit lines (i.e., lines that run on their own roadways) and a light-rail line (O-Train). The Capital Pathway, a network of more than 130 miles (220 km) of recreational paths throughout the metropolitan area, serves bicyclists and pedestrians.

Ottawa has public and private universities, colleges, and professional schools. The leading universities are the University of Ottawa (1848), a bilingual institution, and Carleton University (1942), where instruction is conducted entirely in English. The Ottawa campus of Algonquin College (1967) grants degrees and certificates in technical and applied subjects.