Canada

Ottawa is the capital of Canada. It sits on the Ottawa River in eastern Ontario and houses Parliament Hill, the Prime Minister’s offices, and the Supreme Court. Queen Victoria chose Ottawa in 1857 as a strategic compromise between English-speaking Toronto and French-speaking Montreal, and between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Its inland location also made it easier to defend in the 19th century. To remember it, think “O for Official”: Ottawa in Ontario is the Official capital. Bonus hook: the Rideau Canal runs through the city and becomes the world’s largest skating rink in winter, and Ottawa forms a bilingual National Capital Region with Gatineau, Quebec—fitting for a country with both English and French heritage.