Ontario.The name Ontario is derived from an Indian word meaning “rocks standing high near the water”, probably referring to Niagara Falls.

Located in the middle of the country, Ontario is the centre of Canadian politics and economics, and much of the arts as well. It is the largest in population. Some call it nation’s heart land. It is Canada’s most industrialized province. The country’s largest city, Toronto (2.5 ml residents), is here, as are Niagara Falls and Ottawa, Canada^’s capital, which lies on the border between Quebec and Ontario.

Ottawa is a political and administrative centre of the nation. It sits attractively on the south bank of the Ottawa River. The stately Gothic-style parliament buildings act as landmarks. Ottawa is not an exciting city but its streets are wide and clean; the air is not fouled by heavy industry. The pleasant city of 314,000 residents is now dotted with parks, and most of the land along the waterways is for recreational use. Most national cultural institutions are in the city including. The National Gallery, with its vast collection of North American and European works in various media and the National Museum of Science and Technology which has all kinds of scientific exhibits.

Quebec.“Quebec” is an Indian word meaning “where the river narrows”. It is Canada’s oldest province and its largest. Quebec is the heart of French Canada with the vast majority of the population being French. It was settled by the French and the people still follow French customs. Quebec is unlike the rest of Canada and North America and the differences go far beyond language. The unique culture is reflected in various aspects of life including architecture, music, food and religion.

Quebec is generally at odds with the rest of English-speaking Canada, particularly in its politics. Most people are familiar with the movement advocating Quebec separation from the rest of Canada.

The largest city of this province is Montreal and it is the second largest in Canada after Toronto. Montreal has an atmosphere all of its own. It’s friendly romantic place where couples kiss on the street and strangers talk to each other. There are about three million people in Greater Montreal. Two-thirds of the population are French, making it the largest French-speaking city outside Paris.

Since its founding, Montreal has been a major port and centre for finance, business and transportation. The four universities, two in each language, and numerous affiliates and colleges make it a major academic centre as well. It’s also an arts centre particularly for French culture.

The city sits on an island roughly 40 km long and 15 km wide where the Ottawa River flows into the St Lawrence River. There are bridges connecting all sides with the mainland; this reinforces the impression of really not being on an island at all. In the middle of the island is Mont Royal, a 233-meter-high extinct volcano.

Known as the mountain, Mont Royal is the city’s best and biggest park. The Chalet Lookout has great views of the city.

The Olympic Sports Complex was created for the 1976 Olympic Games. The multipurpose Olympic Stadium is able to hold 80.000 spectators.

Biodome is a captivating environmental museum which re-creates four distinct ecosystems and houses 4000 animals and 5000 plants.