|
Capital: Toronto
Motto: Ut Inceptit Fedelis Sic Permanet (Loyal it began, loyal it remains)
Flower: White Trillium
Population: over 12,000,000
The Land
The name "Ontario" comes from the Iroquois word "Kanadario" meaning "sparkling water." The name is fitting: not only is Ontario bordered on the south by the Great Lakes and on the north by Hudson Bay, but 177 390 km2, or one sixth of its terrain, is covered by rivers and lakes. Ontario is larger than Spain and France combined. The province has a landmass of 1,068,580 sq km and is the 2nd largest province in Canada. At its greatest extremity Ontario is 690 km in width. the longest distance north/south is 1,730 km. The highest point, at 693 m above sea level, is in the District of Timiskaming, near Lady Evelyn Smoothwater Provincial Park.
The People
With over 12 million people, Ontario is the country's most heavily populated province. English is Ontario's official language, although French language rights have been extended to the legal and educational systems. There are entire communities where French is as easily spoken as English, thanks to their French-Canadian history.
According to the Statistics Canada 2001 census, the five languages most commonly spoken at home are English (almost eight million speakers), French (almost 490,000 speakers), Chinese (almost 405,000 speakers), Italian (almost 296,000 speakers) and German (about 157,000 speakers).
Other significant languages include Polish, Spanish, Punjabi, Ukrainian and Portuguese.
Also according to the census,the largest religious denomination is the Protestant Church with almost 4 million members. The Roman Catholic Church has more than 3.9 million members.
 Economy
Ontario is Canada's most productive province, generating some 40 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Its manufacturing industries lead the way. Ontario's competitive advantages include its natural resources, modern transportation system, large, well-educated labour force, reliable and relatively inexpensive electrical power, and proximity to key U.S. markets: less than a day's drive puts Ontario's products within reach of 120 million American consumers. Automobiles are Ontario's major manufacturing industry and most important export, employing more than 140 000 people. Motor vehicles, parts and accessories accounted for 37% of Canada's total exports in 1998.
*Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Copyright (c) 2003. |