Chatham (Ontario) - Geography.

Chatham (Ontario) - Geography. Chatham (Ontario), former city in southern Ontario, Canada, on the Thames River. In 1998 the city of Chatham amalgamated with over 20 separate municipalities to create the municipality of Chatham-Kent. Chatham-Kent is large, with an area of 2,494 sq km (963 sq mi), and the former city of Chatham is the largest urban center in the new municipality. The population of Chatham in 1996 was 43,409 people. Located in a rich agricultural zone, the economy is based on the trade and shipping of local agricultural products. The municipality's industries include tool and die operations, food processing, and heavy-truck manufacturing. A fuel-ethanol plant located in Chatham is important to the economy. The satellite campus of St. Clair College and a campus of the University of Windsor are located in Chatham, as is the Thames Art Gallery. Two of the former city's annual events are the Festival of Nations and the Championship Supreme Highland Games, both held in July. Chatham-Kent is part of the African-Canadian Heritage Tour that takes visitors along the Underground Railroad, which slaves used to escape the United States before the American Civil War (1861-1865). The municipality's Rondeau Provincial Park and Wheatley Provincial Park offer opportunities for bird watching. The former city of Chatham was founded in 1793 as a naval dockyard and was named after Chatham, England. The dockyard was unsuccessful, but the community grew rapidly after the railroad arrived in 1854. Chatham incorporated in 1895. It developed as a marketing center for the surrounding agricultural region and experienced substantial growth in the second half of the 20th century. Population 43,632 (1991); 107,341 (2001). Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.