The capital city of Canada, Ottawa is situated at the confluence of the Ottawa, Gatineau, and Rideau rivers. A camp established by Champlain in 1615 served as headquarters for explorations from Québec to Lake Huron. For nearly two centuries, fur traders and missionaries used the Ottawa River--their only transportation route--for travel to the interior.

The first European settlement in the area was Hull, Québec, founded across the Ottawa River in 1800. In 1823, the Earl of Dalhousie secured ground for the crown on what is now Parliament Hill. Shortly after, two settlements bordered this: Upper Town and Lower Town.

The area was named Bytown in 1827 after Colonel John By, an engineer in charge of construction of the Rideau Canal, which bisects the city and connects the Ottawa River to Lake Ontario. In 1854, Bytown was renamed Ottawa. About this time, four cities were rivals for capital of the United Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada: Montréal, Québec City, Kingston, and Toronto. Queen Victoria, in anticipation of confederation, unexpectedly selected Ottawa as capital in 1857, because the city was a meeting point of French and English cultures. Ten years later, confederation took place and Ottawa became capital of Canada.

Today, Ottawa is an important cultural center with few heavy industries. With its parks full of flowers and its universities, museums, and diplomatic embassies, Ottawa is one of Canada's most beautiful cities.