Ottawa is the capital of Canada and a municipality of the province of Ontario, found in its eastern edge. Ottawa is the fourth largest city in Canada and belongs to the National Capital Region (also Ottawa-Gatineau and formerly Ottawa-Hull). Despite this, majority of Ottawa is still rural: it takes 20 minutes or less to reach the country from the heart of the city.

In 2005, Ottawa's population was estimated to be 859,704, 35% of which is Canadian. This is followed by English and French ethnicities, and as a result, it has been a policy for all municipal services to be available in both languages. The city's motto is "Advance Ottawa" or "Ottawa en avant."

Ottawa houses government institutions such as the Government of Canada, the Parliament, the Senate, and the Supreme Court of Canada.

The city covers 2,778.64 square kilometers. Crossing the Ottawa River brings one to Gatineau city while at the same time crossing from the province of Ontario to that of Quebec.

Temperatures range from 33 to -40 degrees Celsius, from summer to winter. Natural calamities hardly occur in Ottawa, although freezing rain is quite normal.

Ottawa is Canada's G8 capital city. Aside from that, the city has the highest-educated workers in the whole country. Telecommunications and R&D in Ottawa comprise 90% of Canada's overall.

The city is also noted for developing the Ottawa ankle rules, a set of medical guidelines that help determine whether feet and ankle injuries should be inspected further under an X-ray. This reduced costs and possible health risks. (Ottawa has 4 main hospitals, as well as specialized hospitals and clinics.)