Central Canada refers to the two most populous Canadian provinces: Ontario and Quebec.
These two provinces contain the majority (62%) of Canada's population and they currently elect 178 of the 308 seats in the Canadian House of Commons. They are also the locations of the headquarters of most Canadian national institutions and large corporations. Thus, when these two provinces act together they can control the federal government, and often impose their will on the rest of Canada.
This political and cultural prominence regularly makes the rest of Canada view Central Canada somewhat warily. It is regarded as an outside hegemonizing force, against which they must stand on guard to protect their local cultures and interests.
The majority of the population of Quebec do not see themselves as Central Canadians, in part because of the importance of the Quebec coast on the Atlantic Ocean, and in part because of the Francophone culture which they feel is radically different from the culture of Ontario. To Québécois, the economic, political and cultural power of Ontario is often seen as a dangerous force, requiring them to also protect the French culture and Quebec business interests. Only one province (Newfoundland and Labrador, and only a small percentage of that) extends further east than Quebec.
Geographically speaking, the longitudinal centre of Canada is a meridian passing just east of Winnipeg, Manitoba; the Geographic centre of Canada is located near Arviat, Nunavut.
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