Why ottawa is the capital of canada

Here is a chronology of exactly how the capital city of Canada changed in just two and a half decades:. It was clear already by that the decision of where to place the capital of Canada was going to be difficult and time-consuming.

At this time, Queen Victoria was asked to select the capital city of Canada. Her choice of Ottawa — a fairly small and newly incorporated city — surprised many. Still, Ottawa had a lot of promise: it was starting to experience economic growth and was home to an impressive railway system; it also had a long history of trade due to its location near several rivers.

In , the Province of Canada became the Dominion of Canada, making it an official, self-governing colony of the British empire. This also meant that Ottawa was the first and so far only official capital of Canada as we know it. We now know that Ottawa is the capital city of Canada, but what about the capital cities of all the provinces and territories within Canada? Similar to the United States, where there is a capital city for each state, Canada has capital cities for all 13 of its provinces and territories.

Provinces and territories are listed alphabetically. Note that while the capital city of Canada Ottawa is located in Ontario, it is not the capital of Ontario itself — this status belongs to Toronto.

Here are the biggest cities for the Canadian provinces for which the capital city is not the most highly populated:. Are you taking the IB geography class?

Then you might want some tips and resources with our comprehensive guide. Preparing for the AP Human Geography exam? Get an overview of what's on the test and then learn the best ways to study for it. You can also check out our expert picks for the best AP Human Geography prep books. Should it be in the centre of the country? Should it be the biggest city? Who decides where a capital should be? In , there were a few cities competing to be the capital city. To settle it, Queen Victoria chose Ottawa because it was centrally located between the cities of Montreal and Toronto, and was along the border of Ontario and Quebec the centre of Canada at the time.

It was also far from the American border, making it safer from attacks. Can you think of other words that use the word law or maker? The word capital comes from the Latin word caput , which means head.

Capital has many different meanings: very serious capital punishment ; money capital investment ; and very important capital letter, capital city. Here are some other words that come from this same root: to cap something; a baseball or bottle cap; captain; caption. The English word citizen comes from the Latin word civis , which means a person who lives in a city.

Other words in this group include city , civic or civilian. The city straddles the border between English and French language and cultural spheres, and approximately 25 percent of the resident population hails from abroad. Ottawa is home to national museums, renowned art galleries and impressive annual festivals. More importantly, Ottawa is a dynamic visitor destination offering convention delegates access to unique urban, cultural and recreational experiences.

Getting to Ottawa is easy. Our city also has strong highway systems, two train stations and a forthcoming Light Rail Train as part of an extensive public transit network. Ottawa puts conventions on a national and international stage. Events held here have easy access to policy makers, diplomatic communities, media members, industry experts, and innovators from a variety of sectors. When it comes to Ottawa, delegates arrive early, stay late, and bring their spouses to enjoy everything the city has to offer.