The Rideau Lakes is a recreational jewel made up of a network of over 31 lakes and connecting streams covering 455 square kilometres in five municipalities. This fabled subwatershed is an integral part of the Rideau Canal National Historic Site, the Rideau Waterway Canadian Heritage River, the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve and Rideau Heritage Route. The population is a mix of seasonal and permanent residents. It is cottage country for thousands of families. Permanent households are living on large rural properties (farms or forested lands), in country estate subdivisions, very small to very large lakeside residential lots, or villages such as Newboro, Portland, Rideau Ferry and Westport.