National Capital Region facts for kids

The National Capital Region is a special name for the area around Ottawa, Ontario, and Gatineau, Quebec. Ottawa is Canada's capital city. This region covers a big area of 5,319 square kilometres. It stretches across the border between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

The National Capital Region is almost the same size as the Ottawa-Gatineau Census Metropolitan Area. A Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) is a large urban area used for counting people. The National Capital Region also includes some smaller towns nearby that are not part of the CMA. When you add up all the people in these communities, the total population is about 1,451,415.

The National Capital Region is not like a separate province or state with its own government. However, the National Capital Commission (NCC) plays a big role here. The NCC helps plan how the land is used, and it supports cultural events and political activities in the region.

Sometimes, people have suggested making the National Capital Region a special "capital district." This would be like the District of Columbia in the United States or the Australian Capital Territory. These are special areas that are not part of any state or province. But these ideas for Canada's capital region have never really gone anywhere. It seems there is no strong reason or desire to make this change right now.

Cities and Towns in the Ottawa-Gatineau Area

This section shows the cities and towns that are part of the Ottawa-Gatineau CMA. This information comes from the 2006 Census of Canada.

Other Towns in the National Capital Region

These towns are not officially part of the main Ottawa-Gatineau CMA. However, they are included in the National Capital Region. This is because they have strong connections with Ottawa for jobs and social activities.