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Facts
About Ontario
Population
(2001). 11,410,046--rank, 1st province. Urban, 81.7%;
rural, 18.3%. Persons per square mile, 24.4 (per square
kilometer, 9.4)--rank, 4th province.
Ontario's population of 10,084,885 (1991 census) is
the largest of any province in Canada. Urban dwellers
total 81.7 percent, and 18.3 percent of the people are
classified as rural. Although the southern peninsula
is one of Canada's most thickly settled areas, Ontario
ranks only fourth among the provinces in population
density, with 24.4 persons per square mile (9.4 persons
per square kilometer). English-speaking people make
up three fourths of the population. About 8 percent
are of French descent. The remainder are mainly of Northern
European origin. There are about 111,000 Indians, 368,000
people of Asian and African origin, and about 100,000
from India.
Largest Cities (1991 census)
Toronto (635,395; metropolitan area, 3,893,046).
Second largest city of Canada; provincial capital; commercial,
financial, industrial, and educational center; provincial
Parliament Buildings; CN Tower (see Toronto, Ont.).
Mississauga (463,388). Seaway port; industrial
and residential center.
Hamilton (318,499; metropolitan area, 599,760).
Lake port; rail, steel, and diversified industrial center;
Royal Botanical Gardens (see Hamilton, Ont.).
Ottawa (313,987; metropolitan area, 920,857).
Federal capital; papermaking, woodworking, publishing;
federal Parliament Buildings (see Ottawa, Ont.).
London (303,165; metropolitan area, 381,522).
Commercial, educational, industrial, and agricultural
center (see London, Ont.).
Extent. Area, 412,582 square miles (1,068,582
square kilometers), including 68,490 square miles (177,388
square kilometers) of water surface (2nd province in
size).
Greatest length (north to south), 1,050 miles
(1,690 kilometers); greatest width (east to west), about
1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers).
Elevation. Highest, Ogidaki Mountain, 2,183 feet
(665 meters), lowest, sea level; average, 800 feet (244
meters).
Temperature. Extremes--lowest, -73o F (-58o C),
Iroquois Falls, Jan. 23, 1935, highest, 108o F (42o
C), Atikokan, July 11 and 12, 1936, Fort Frances, July
13, 1936, and Biscotasing, July 20, 1919.
Averages at Kapuskasing--January, -0.1o F (-17.8 C);
July, 63.1 F (17.3 C); annual, 33.4 F (0.8 C). Averages
at Toronto--January, 25.0 F (-3.9 C); July, 71.5 F (21.9
C); annual, 47.7 F (8.7 C).
Precipitation. Average annual total--at Kapuskasing,
33.03 inches (839 millimeters); at Toronto, 30.43 inches
(773 millimeters).
Land Use. Agricultural, 7.5%; forest, 64.0%;
urban and developed, 0.8%; wildland, 27.7%.
Major Products
Agricultural. Corn, vegetables, soybeans, wheat,
tobacco, potatoes, cattle, dairy products, pigs.
Manufactured. Automobiles, iron and steel, machinery,
commercial and industrial equipment, pulp and paper,
publishing and printing, refined petroleum, food and
beverages, plastics, chemicals.
Mined. Nickel, copper, uranium, gold, zinc, salt,
cement, clay products, lime, sand and gravel, stone.
Compton's
and Encarta Encyclopedia © 2001
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