About Ontario - Overview Welcome to Ontario, the province that one in three Canadians calls home... Ontario is a magnet for industry, the arts and science. The population is made up of many cultural backgrounds drawn to this vibrant province. Ontario is a study in contrasts. The varied landscape includes the vast, rocky and mineral-rich Canadian Shield, which separates the fertile farmland in the south and the grassy lowlands of the north. There are over 250,000 lakes in Ontario -- they make up about one-third of the world's fresh water. In summer, temperatures can soar above 30°C (86°F), while in winter they can drop to below -40°C (-40°F). Ontario's industries range from cultivating crops, to mining minerals, to manufacturing automobiles, to designing software and leading-edge technology. Cultures from around the world thrive and are celebrated in Ontario with festivals such as Caribana (West Indian) and Oktoberfest (German).   People and Culture - Population Densities With a population of more than 12 million, Ontario is home to about one in three Canadians. Eighty per cent live in urban centres, largely in cities on the shores of the Great Lakes. The largest concentration of people and cities is in the "Golden Horseshoe" along the western end of Lake Ontario including the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls. About five million people live in the "Golden Horseshoe." In southwestern Ontario, significant populations live in Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Kincardine and Windsor. In eastern Ontario, Ottawa and Kingston are the predominant cities.   Economy - Overview Ontario's economy had its beginnings in the pursuit of natural resources: fur, timber and minerals. The province's many rivers and lakes, particularly the Great Lakes, made for natural transportation routes. As the population of Ontario increased, people started new industries and surveyed, cleared and farmed the rich agricultural land. Today, northern Ontario's economy is still highly dependent on natural resources while southern Ontario, with its proximity to the enormous U.S. market, is heavily industrialized. Ontario is part of the North American manufacturing heartland and is favourably located to serve major Canadian and U.S. markets. 106 million people live within a day's trucking distance of Toronto with a personal income totaling US $2.7 trillion. However, in the 21st century, more Ontarians are employed in service industries than on assembly lines. Ontario's highly diversified economy offers excellent opportunities in all sectors ranging from automotive, plastics, aerospace to information and telecommunications technology and the life sciences.   Did You Know? - The Origin of the Name "Ontario" There are various interpretations as to the actual origin of the name "Ontario." The Archives of Ontario have found three sources and translations of the name, all of which are derived from an Iroquoian word. The Archives of Ontario has also found a source that disputes the Iroquoian translation of the three names. The three possible sources and the questioning of the translation are as follows: The name is said to be a variation of the word "kanadario" which means "sparkling or beautiful water." This word was originally used to describe the large body of water that is currently known as Lake Ontario. The use of the word later grew to include the area of land along the shores of the lake and beyond. Source: Armstrong, G.H. The Origin and Meaning of Place Names in Canada . Toronto: Macmillan, 1930. The name may be a variation of the term "Onitariio" which translates to "beautiful lake." Use of this term was also traced to identify the body of water currently known as Lake Ontario and later to include the land surrounding the lake. Source: Hamilton, William B. The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names . Toronto: Macmillan, 1978. The name is said to have developed from the term "Skanadario" which is reported to mean "very pretty lake." Source: Beauchamp, William M. Aboriginal Place Names of New York . Albany: New York State Education Department, 1908. It has been stated that the translations of the names given could not have been as descriptive as suggested. "In 1683 Fr Louis Hennepin had said that the name meant 'beautiful lake,' but beauty in geographical features is a concept alien to Aboriginal naming. In one or more of the Iroquioan languages, such as Huron, Mohawk and Seneca, the name probably means simply 'a large body of water.'" Source: Rayburn, Alan. Place Names in Ontario . Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1997.