Ottawa is an brilliant place to live and rent an apartment! For anyone thinking of moving to the city, or are already living in an Ottawa apartment rental and just want to learn more about the place they call home, here are a few appealing facts about the National Capital Region: * Formerly known as Bytown (named after the settlement’s founder, Substitute-Colonel John By), the City of Ottawa was officially customary in 1855. * Ottawa was named the capital city of Canada by sovereign Victoria on December 31, 1857. *  In 2001, the new City of Ottawa was made with the amalgamation of the Region of Ottawa-Carleton and 11 local municipalities: Cumberland, Gloucester, Goulbourn, Kanata, Nepean, Osgoode, Ottawa, Rideau, Rockcliffe Park, Vanier, and West Carleton. * Ottawa is currently the fourth-largest city in Canada. * The National Capital Region (which includes both Ottawa and Gatineau) has a population of more than 1,100,000 people. * The city is located on the banks of the Ottawa, Rideau, and Gatineau rivers. * Ottawa is home to four diverse seasons, with temperatures ranging from 35°C (95°F) in summer to -40°C (-40°F) in winter, with average summer temperatures around 20°C (68°F) and average winter temperatures around -10°C (14°F).        * Nearly 50 per cent of Ottawa residents hold a post-secondary degree, certificate, or diploma, making the city among the highest educated in Canada. In addition, Ottawa has the highest per capita concentration of engineers, scientists, and residents with PhDs in the people. * Ottawa is home to several major colleges and universities, including the University of Ottawa (downtown), Carleton University (south end), and Algonquin College (west end).          * Ottawa is one of Canada’s youngest cities, with nearly half of the population under the age of 35.         * Ottawa is a diverse city, with languages spoken including English (50 per cent), French (32 per cent), and a variety of other languages including Italian, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic.          * Nestled on the Ontario-Quebec border, Ottawa is a very bilingual city. In fact, the National Capital Region has the second-highest percentage of people who speak both French and English of any major Canadian city.          * Approximately 25 per cent of Ottawa’s residents were born outside of Canada.          * Ottawa hosts more than 35 major festivals and actions every year, including the Canadian Tulip Festival, Ottawa Bluesfest, the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, and Winterlude. * As of June 29, 2007, the Rideau Canal, which stretches 202 kilometres from Ottawa to Kingston, was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. * While the majority of jobs in the area are in the regime or high-tech sector, Ottawa has deep agricultural roots, and the region is blessed with more farmland than any other city in Canada. With as many as 10,000 jobs associated with agriculture, Ottawa is the agricultural centre of Eastern Ontario. * Ottawa is simple to get to and simple to get around while you’re here. The city is served by a network of freeways, including provincial Highway 417 (also known as the Queensway, and Ottawa’s part of the Trans-Canada Highway), Ottawa-Carleton Regional Road 174 (formerly provincial Highway 17), and provincial Highway 416 (the Veterans’ Memorial Highway, which connects Ottawa to Highway 401). The city also has several scenic parkways along the Ottawa River and Rideau Canal. * If you need to get everyplace that roads can’t take you, Ottawa is served by the Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, which is located in the south end of the city. Of course, these are just a few of the facts about living and renting an apartment in Ottawa – the only way to get the whole tale is to rent an apartment here and get out and explore the city yourself!