OTTAWA GEOGRAPHY |
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Ottawa sits on the south bank of the Ottawa River, around the mouths of the
Rideau River and Rideau Canal. The oldest part of the city (including what
remains of Bytown) is known as Lower Town and occupies an area between the
canal and the rivers. Across the canal to the west lies Centre Town, which
is the city's financial and commercial hub. Between here and the Ottawa
River, the slight elevation of Parliament Hill is home to many of the
capital's landmark government buildings. |
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The Ottawa urban area extends for considerable distance to the east, west
and south of the centre, and includes the former cities of Gloucester and
Nepean. Around the city is an extensive greenbelt, administered by the
National Capital Commission for conservation and leisure, and comprising
mostly forest and marshland. A number of satellite towns and rural
communities lie beyond the greenbelt but are administratively part of the
Ottawa municipality. The largest of these are Kanata to the west and Orleans
to the east.
Across the Ottawa River, which forms the border between Ontario
and Quebec, lies the city of Gatineau. Although administered
separately, the two cities both fall within the remit of the
National Capital Commission and for many purposes are considered
a single metropolitan area, called Canada's Capital Region. |
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