Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country with a population of 812,129 (2006). Located in the Ottawa Valley, the city lies in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario on the Ottawa River, a major waterway forming the local boundary between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

The Ottawa region was long the home of the Odawa or Odaawaa First Nations people and was chosen by Queen Victoria on December 31, 1857 as a common capital for the Province of Canada (modern day Ontario and Quebec). Today Ottawa has the highest per capita concentration of engineers, scientists, and residents with PhDs in Canada. The city's primary employers are the Public Service of Canada and the high-tech industry.

Ottawa is also home to a wealth of culture including many renowned landmarks, notable institutions, national museums, official residences, memorials and heritage structures. In 2010, Ottawa had the second highest quality of living of any city in the Americas and was also considered the 3rd cleanest city in the world according to the "Mercer Human Resource Consulting Quality of Living Survey".