The National Capital Region is an informal designation for the Census Metropolitan Area consisting of the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Ontario, the neighbouring city of Gatineau, Quebec and the surrounding area. It is also known as Ottawa-Gatineau or formerly Ottawa-Hull. The region has a total population of 1,063,664 (2001) living in an area of 5,318.36 square kilometres.

The National Capital Region does not exist in a formal political sense, although the National Capital Commission, as the owner of all government properties, is heavily involved in political and cultural matters in both cities.

Proposals have sometimes been made to separate the two cities from their respective provinces, and unite them into a separate administrative area, such as the District of Columbia or the Australian Capital Territory, although at this point it appears unlikely that this will ever be implemented.

The CMA includes the following municipalities (2001 populations):

• Ontario
  • Clarence-Rockland (19,612)
  • Ottawa (774,072)
  • Russell (12,412)
• Quebec
  • Cantley (5,898)
  • Chelsea (6,036)
  • Gatineau (226,696)
  • La Pêche (6,453)
  • Pontiac (4,643)
  • Val-des-Monts (7,842)

While not officially in the CMA, the following municipalities (most of which are adjacent to the CMA) are also often included in the National Capital Region, due to close economic and social ties with Ottawa:

• Ontario
  • Alfred and Plantagenet (8,593)
  • Arnprior (7,192)
  • Beckwith (6,046)
  • Carleton Place (9,083)
  • Casselman (2,910)
  • Mississippi Mills (11,647)
  • North Dundas (11,014)
  • North Grenville (13,581)
  • North Stormont (6,855)
  • The Nation (10,599)
• Quebec
  • L'Ange-Gardien
  • Lochaber
  • Lochaber-Partie-Ouest
  • Low
  • Montebello
  • Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette
  • Papineauville
  • Plaisance
  • Thurso

External links

• National Capital Commission - Commission de la capitale nationale