Ontario is a magnet for industry, the arts and science. The name “Ontario” comes from a native word, possibly “Onitariio” or “Kanadario”, loosely translated as “beautiful” or “sparkling” water or lake.

Ontario is a study in contrasts.  The varied landscape includes the vast, rocky and mineral-rich Canadian Shield, which separates the fertile farmland in the south and the grassy lowlands of the north.  There are over 250,000 lakes in Ontario — they make up about one-third of the world’s fresh water. In summer, temperatures can soar above 30°C (86°F), while in winter they can drop to below -40°C (-40°F).

Even people who live in Ontario can have trouble appreciating the sheer size of this province. Ontario is Canada’s second largest province, covering more than one million square kilometers (415,000 square miles) – an area larger than France and Spain combined. More than 12 million people live in Ontario. The province is bounded by Quebec on the east, Manitoba on the west, Hudson Bay and James Bay on the north, and the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes on the south.

Ontario’s most northerly communities are close to the same latitude as London, England and Warsaw, Poland. Ontario’s southernmost point of land is Middle Island, in Lake Erie south of Point Pelee, roughly parallel to Barcelona, Spain or Rome, Italy.

Ontario’s climate ranges from humid continental in the south, with chilly winters, warm summers and lots of humidity, to sub-arctic in the north. The large bodies of water in the north and south have a moderating effect on climate, making summer and winter temperatures less extreme, delaying autumn frosts, and reducing the differential between day and night temperatures. On average the coldest month of the year is January and the warmest is July.

Ontario’s industries range from cultivating crops, to mining minerals, to manufacturing automobiles, to designing software and leading-edge technology.

Cultures from around the world thrive and are celebrated in Ontario with festivals such as Caribana (West Indian) and Oktoberfest (German).

Ontario’s population growth has depended on immigration ever since the American Revolution sent Loyalists north to Canada. Even today, about half of the approximately 250,000 people who immigrate to Canada each year, choose to settle in Ontario. Toronto has been called the most multicultural city in the world, where more than 70 languages are spoken.

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.