Direct employment in government still accounts for about 1 job in 5 in the Ottawa area, despite downsizing in the public sector in the 1990s, and the region as a whole boasts a high percentage of managerial and professional employees (41 percent of the total workforce). Since the 1970s Ottawa has become a center for high-technology industry, which now accounts for a large part of the manufacturing in the area. The region is home to many computer, research and development, and communications firms, and Ottawa ranks as one of Canada's leaders in the manufacture of electronics and communications equipment. This sector of Ottawa's economy comprises more than 700 firms, which employ more than 37,000 people.
Tourism plays an important role in Ottawa's economy, with over 4 million people visiting the region annually. Ottawa is well connected by road and rail to the major transportation routes that span central and eastern Canada, and further improvements to the highway system are being constructed. Additionally, the Rideau Canal connects Ottawa to Lake Ontario at Kingston, and Ottawa's Macdonald-Cartier International Airport is one of Canada's busiest.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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