Ontario

Ontario is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. Located in east-central Canada, it is Canada's most populous province, with 38.3 percent of the country's population, and is the second-largest province in total area. Ontario is fourth-largest in total area when the territories of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are included. It is home to the nation's capital city, Ottawa, and the nation's most populous city, Toronto.

Geography

Ontario is bordered by the province of Manitoba to the west, Hudson Bay and James Bay to the north, and Quebec to the east and northeast, and to the south by the U.S. states of Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Almost all of Ontario's 2,700 km (1,678 mi) border with the United States follows inland waterways: from the westerly Lake of the Woods, eastward along the major rivers and lakes of the Great Lakes/Saint Lawrence River drainage system. These include Rainy River, Pigeon River, Lake Superior, St. Marys River, Lake Huron, St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, Detroit River, Lake Erie, Niagara River, Lake Ontario and along the St. Lawrence River from Kingston to the Quebec boundary just east of Cornwall.

History

The history of Ontario covers the period from the arrival of Paleo-Indians thousands of years ago to the present day. The lands that make up present-day Ontario, the most populous province of Canada as of the early 21st century, have been inhabited for millennia by groups of Aboriginal peoples, with French and British exploration and colonization commencing in the 17th century.

Economy

Ontario is Canada's leading manufacturing province, accounting for 52% of the total national manufacturing shipments in 2004. Ontario's largest trading partner is the American state of Michigan. As of April 2012, Moody's bond-rating agency rated Ontario debt at AA2/stable, while S&P rated it AA-. Dominion Bond Rating Service rated it AA(low) in January 2013. Long known as a bastion of Canadian manufacturing and financial solvency, Ontario's public debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to be 38.4% in fiscal year 2023–2024.

Demographics

According to the 2016 Canadian Census, the province has a population of 13,448,494. The population is urbanized, with 81.4% of the population residing in cities and towns. The largest population centres are Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, and Oshawa.

Government and politics

The Government of Ontario includes the cabinet of the province and the non-political civil service. The current premier is Doug Ford, who was sworn in on June 29, 2018. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario is located in the Ontario Legislative Building in Toronto. The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Queen's representative in the province, carries out most of the royal duties in Ontario.

Education

Education in Ontario comprises public and private primary and secondary schools and post-secondary institutions. By right of the constitution of Canada, Roman Catholics are entitled to their own school system. Four large, overlapping publicly funded school systems provide primary and secondary education, organized into school districts.

Culture

Ontario's culture has been shaped by its history, geography, and politics. The province has a rich heritage of Aboriginal, French, British, and many other cultures. The province is home to the National Gallery of Canada, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Ontario Science Centre.