Chatham-Kent is located in the southernmost region of both Ontario and Canada, on the shores of Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is composed of 9 major communities and the surrounding rural areas which were amalgamated toghether by provincial edict on January 1st, 1998. The following are the major communities of Chatham-Kent, with their respective populations as of 1994. Chatham-Kent is predominantly flat, with the elevation rising slightly as one ventures towards the northeastern portion of the municipality.
Agricultural land dominates, on which the predominant crop is corn.
Small sections of Carolinan forest remain in protected areas, while sections of marshland remain along the shores of Lake St. Clair. Chatham-Kent boasts one of the most temperate climates in Canada, surpassed only by coastal regions of British Columbia. Winters are cool to mild, with snow rarely staying on the ground in excess of one week, while summers are hot and humid, with temperatures in excess of 35 degrees not being uncommon. The name Chatham was chosen for the community upon its founding in honour of William Pitt, the earl of Chatham, England. Kent's namesake is a county along the Thames River in England, downstream from London, just as Chatham-Kent is a municpality along the Thames river in Ontario, downstream from London, Ontario.