ONTARIO, Puovrves: OF, formerly Upper Canada or Canada West, the most pope lone province in the Dominion of Canada. On the n.e. and e. it is bounded by the prov ince of Quebec; on the s.e. and s.s.w. by the St. Lawrence river, the great lakes. and the district of Keewatin; and on the n.w. and n.. by Hudson's bay and the terri tories. Its length from s.e. to n.w. is about 730 ,ni.; from n.e. to s.w. about 500 m.; area 107,780 sq. miles. The face of the regiOn is diversified byrivers and lakes. A ridge of high land extends in the s.e. portion from Niagara falls n.w. to lake Huron and along the peninsula between that lake and Georgian bay. Other ranges of hills are the Lau rentian, crossing the Ottawa river at Quebec, and extending s, and thence w. to Geor gian bay; and the Blue mountains, s. of Georgian Lay, which attain a height above lake Huron of 1900 feet. The slopes are generally gradual and the valleys wide. In the s.w, lies a great plain, extremely fertile and valuable, underlaid by Silurian and Devonian limestones, sandstones, and shales, on which arc found beds of clay and gravel. Much of this region abounds in bard-wood forests, and is fertile in wheat, corn, and all kinds of farm products. The principal rivers of the province are the tributaries of the Ottawa river, which forms the boundary between Ontario and the province of Quebec; the French, the Maganetawan, the Severn, and the Nottawasaga, into Georgian hay; the Saugeen, the Maitland, end Aux Sables, falling into lake Huron; the Thames, run nings. into lake St. Clair; the Grand, flowing s.e. into lake Erie; the Trent, in part of its course called the Otonabee, and the Moira, flowing s.e. into the bay of Write; and ahe Niagara, falling into lake Ontario. The great lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, with their connecting waters, afford a water front to the province of about 3,000 m., with many good harbors. The principal minor lakes are Nipigon, Simcoe, and Nipissing; and the (Ada bays are the Georgian, Nottawasaga, Owen sound, Long Point, Burlington, and Quinte. The winters throughout the country are very cold, and heat during summer is occasionally exty me; but the climate is considered healthy.
Ontario, like the rest of Canada, was first settled by the French. and together with
the province of Quebec passed into the control of the English in 1700. It became a separate province in 1867. It is divided into 49 counties, subdivided into 88 electoral districts. The principal cities are Toronto, the capital, pop. 56,092; Ottawa, the capital of the dominion, pep. 21,545; Kingston, pop. 12,407; Hamilton, pop. 26,716; and Lon don, pop. 15,8le. The largest towns are Brantford, 8,107; St. Catharines, 7,864; Belle ville, 7,a15; Guelph, 6,878; Chatham, 5,873; Port Hope, 5,114, and Broekaille, 5,102. In 1871 the total population of the whole province was 1,620,851, of whom 559,442 were Irish; 439,429 English; 328,889 Scotch; 158,608 German; 75,383 French; 19,992 Dutch; 5,282 Welsh; and 12,978 Indians. At that period 228,708 persons were engaged in agricultural pursuits; 29,082 in commercial occupations; 26,085 in domestic; 93,871 in industrial, 16,759 in professional; and E8,100 were not classified. The greatest number 'of the inhabitants are settled in the s. and s.w. parts of the province; and, as the fore going statistics indicate, agriculture is the chief occupation. A large proportion of the soil is of excellent quality, and in the s.w. the influence of the surrounding bodies of water aids the natural richness of the soil. Large crops of wheat are raised, also oats, barley, Indian corn, rye, potatoes, turnips, etc.; and in the s.w, the aaple-orchards arc very productive; and pears, plums, grapes, cherries, and various kinds of berries thrive. The regions lying between the Ottawa river and the Georgian bay contain large tracts of fertile ground, and produce a variety of. timber consisting chiefly of white and red pine. In this district lumbering is extensively carried the sawing of timber is among the principal industries of the province. Chief the other Manufactures are cotton and woolen goods, linen, furniture, iron and hardware, paper, soap, starch, hats, boots, and shoes, steam-engines and locomotives, sewing machines, wooden-ware, and agricultural implements. The foreign trade in 1874 in exports_ amounted to $25,157, 087; and in imports to $49,443,077. The principal merchandise imported was sugar, tea, coal. Indian corn, wheat, iron manufactures, and cotton and woolen goods.