Geography of Ontario

Geography of Ontario
ContinentNorth America
RegionEastern Canada
Central Canada
Coordinates49°15′0″N 84°29′59″W / 49.25000°N 84.49972°W / 49.25000; -84.49972
Area
 • Total1,076,395 km2 (415,598 sq mi)
 • Land85.3%
 • Water14.7%
Coastline3,840 km (2,390 mi)
BordersTotal land borders: U.S. states Michigan, New York, Minnesota; Canadian provinces Manitoba, Nunavut, and Quebec
Highest pointIshpatina Ridge
693 m (2,274 ft)
Lowest pointHudson Bay
sea level
Longest riverAlbany River
980 km (610 mi)
Largest lakeLake Superior
28,700 km2 (11,100 sq mi)
(Canadian portion only)

Ontario is located in East/Central Canada. It is Canada's second largest province by land area. Its physical features vary greatly from the Mixedwood Plains in the southeast to the boreal forests and tundra in the north. Ontario borders Manitoba to the west, Hudson Bay and James Bay to the north, Quebec to the east, and the Great Lakes and the United States to the south. The province is named for Great Lake Ontario, an adaptation of the Iroquois word Onitariio, meaning "beautiful lake", or Kanadario, variously translated as "beautiful water". There are approximately 250,000 lakes and over 100,000 kilometres (62,000 mi) of rivers in the province.

Almost 94% of the population is concentrated within Southern Ontario, where the population was over 12,850,000 in the 2011 census. The Golden Horseshoe is the most populous part of Southern Ontario, with a population of 9,765,188 in the 2021 census.[1]