about Ottawa

Located on the banks of the beautiful Ottawa, Rideau and Gatineau Rivers, Ottawa is one of the most beautiful capital cities in the world. A booming international technology and business centre and world class tourism and convention destination, Ottawa is also rich in culture and heritage with its many national institutions, parklands, waterways and historic architecture.

It is home to a large number of foreign embassies and is a recognized centre for both academics and professional training. The city offers an open and welcoming environment to cultures from around the world, providing service in English, French, and a host of other languages. The city’s residents enjoy an enviable quality of life that is recognized around the world.

Quick Facts

• A population of over 1.2 million makes the Ottawa region the fourth-largest urban area in Canada
• Ottawa is home to such high tech giants as Nortel Networks, Alcatel, JDS Uniphase, Cognos, Tundra, Cisco, MDS Nordion and Entrust
• Our technology companies are complemented by MBNA Canada, ING Direct, Clarica and MD Management
• Ottawa is also the home of government organizations such as the Government of Canada, Parliament, the Senate, and the Supreme Court of Canada
• More than 1,500 advanced technology companies employ more than 65,000 people
• With the highest-educated workforce in Canada, Ottawa has more engineers, scientists and PhDs per capita than any other city in the country
• $1.3 billion CDN in venture capital was invested in Ottawa technology companies from 2000 to 2002
• With 90 per cent of Canada’s industrial telecommunications research and development conducted here, Ottawa is one of the world's top five sites for R&D Canada's Capital region welcomes over 7 million visitors per year, who spend over $1.3 billion
• The Capital's tourism and convention industry generates more than $2 billion in economic activity
• According to Statistics Canada, families in Ottawa had the highest median incomes of any Canadian city in 2001
• Ottawa was ranked sixth in the world for quality of life by the Corporate Resources Group, a Swiss-based management firm
• Languages spoken include English (50%), French (32%) and a host of other languages including significant capabilities in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese and Arabic

City of Ottawa Links

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