Alberta
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Fortis et liber (Latin: "Strong and free")
Capital	Edmonton
Largest city	Calgary
Official languages	English (see below)
Government
Lieutenant-Governor	Norman Kwong
Premier	Ed Stelmach (PC)
Federal representation	in Canadian Parliament
House seats	28
Senate seats	6
Confederation	September 1, 1905 (split from Northwest Territories) (8th Province)
Area	Ranked 6th
Total	661,848 km² (255,541 sq mi)
Land	642,317 km² (248,000 sq mi)
Water (%)	19,531 km² (7,541 sq mi) (2.95%)
Population	Ranked 4th
Total (2008)	3,497,881 (est.)[1]
Density	5.38 /km² (13.9 /sq mi)
GDP	Ranked 3rd
Total (2006)	C$235.593 billion[2]
Per capita	C$69,789 (2nd)
Abbreviations
Postal	AB
ISO 3166-2	CA-AB
Time zone	UTC-7
Postal code prefix	T
Flower	Wild rose
Tree	Lodgepole Pine
Bird	Great Horned Owl
Web site	www.gov.ab.ca
Rankings include all provinces and territories

Alberta (IPA: /ælˈbɝtə/) is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1, 1905.

Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, Northwest Territories to the north, and by the U.S. state of Montana to the south. Alberta is one of three provinces and territories (the others being New Brunswick and Yukon) to border only a single U.S. state. It is also one of two provinces that are land-locked (the other being Saskatchewan).

The capital city of Alberta is Edmonton, located just south of the centre of the province. Calgary is a major distribution and transportation hub as well as being one of Canada's major commerce centres. Edmonton is the primary supply and service hub for Canada's oil sands and other northern resource industries. According to recent population estimates, these two metropolitan areas have now both exceeded 1 million people, Calgary being slightly more populous than Edmonton.^[3] Other municipalities in the province include Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Camrose, Lloydminster, Wetaskiwin, Banff, Cold Lake, and Jasper.

Since December 14, 2006, the Premier of the province is Hon. Ed Stelmach, Progressive Conservative.

Alberta is named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1848–1939), the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. Princess Louise was the wife of the Marquess of Lorne, Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. Lake Louise, the village of Caroline, and Mount Alberta were also named in honour of Princess Louise.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Alberta

Alberta is in western Canada, and covers an area of 661,190 km² (255,287 mi²).^[4] To the south, it borders the U.S. state of Montana on the 49th Parallel. To the east at a longitude of 110° west, it borders the province of Saskatchewan. At 60° north, it is bordered by the Northwest Territories. To the west, its border with British Columbia follows the line of peaks of the Rocky Mountains range along the Continental Divide, which runs northwesterly until it reaches 120° west, at which point the border follows this meridian to 60° north.

With the exception of the southeastern section, the province is well watered. Alberta contains dozens of rivers and lakes used for swimming, water skiing, fishing and a full range of other water sports. There are three large lakes and a multitude of smaller lakes less than 260 km² each. Part of Lake Athabasca (&&&&&&&&&&&07898.&&&&&07,898 km²) lies in the province of Saskatchewan. Lake Claire (&&&&&&&&&&&01436.&&&&&01,436 km²) lies just west of Lake Athabasca in Wood Buffalo National Park. Lesser Slave Lake (&&&&&&&&&&&01168.&&&&&01,168 km²) is northwest of Edmonton.

Because Alberta extends for &&&&&&&&&&&01200.&&&&&01,200 km from north to south, and about 600 km wide at its greatest east-west extent, it is natural that the climate should vary considerably between the 49th and 60th parallels. It is also further influenced by its elevation since the province is a high plateau. The elevation ranges from about &&&&&&&&&&&01000.&&&&&01,000 metres in the south (Calgary is about &&&&&&&&&&&01100.&&&&&01,100 metres and Red Deer is about 850 m) to 650 metres in the north. The presence of a wall of mountains on the west and open prairies on the east also influences the weather.

Northern Alberta is mostly covered by boreal forest and has fewer frost-free days than southern Alberta, which has a semi-arid climate. The southeastern corner of Alberta experiences greater summer heat and lower rainfall than the rest of the province. Western Alberta is protected by the mountains, and enjoys the mild temperatures brought by winter chinook winds, while southeastern Alberta is a generally flat, dry prairie with some hills, where temperatures are most extreme. They can range from very cold (−35 °C (−31 °F) or lower in the winter) to very hot (38 °C (100 °F) or higher in the summer). Central and parts of northwestern Alberta in the Peace River region are largely aspen parkland, a biome transitional between prairie to the south and boreal forest to the north. After southern Ontario, Central Alberta is the most likely region in Canada to experience tornadoes. Thunderstorms, some of them severe, are frequent in the summer, especially in central and southern Alberta. The region surrounding the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor is notable for having the highest frequency of hail in Canada, due to the role of orographic lifting from the nearby Rocky Mountains which enhances the updraft/downdraft cycle necessary for the formation of hail.

Overall, Alberta has cold winters, with a temperature average ranging from −10 °C (14 °F) in the south to −24 °C (−12 °F) in the north. In the south along the foothills of the Rockies, the winter cold is sometimes interrupted by Chinook winds which can propel temperatures upward in a short time frame close to or infrequently above 20 °C (68 °F). These conditions most commonly occur in February or March. In the summer, the average daytime temperatures range from around 21 °C (70 °F) in the Rocky Mountains (valleys) and far north to near 30 °C (86 °F) in the dry prairie of the southeast. The northern and western parts of the province experience higher rainfall and lower evaporation rates caused by cooler summer temperatures. The south and east-central portions are prone to drought-like conditions sometimes persisting over periods of years, although even these areas can receive heavy precipitation. Alberta experiences a good amount of sunshine for its northern location owing to its fairly dry climate; the east-central part of the province (bordering Saskatchewan), is the sunniest place in Canada with an average of over &&&&&&&&&&&02500.&&&&&02,500 hours a year.

Alberta's capital city, Edmonton, is located almost in the geographic centre of the province, and most of Alberta's oil is refined here. Southern Alberta, where Calgary is located, is known for its ranching. Much of the unforested part of Alberta is given over either to grain or to dairy farming, with ranching and grasslands predominant in the south.

The Alberta badlands are located in southeastern Alberta, where the Red Deer River crosses the flat prairie and farmland, and features deep gorges and striking landforms. Dinosaur Provincial Park, near Brooks, Alberta, showcases the badlands terrain, desert flora, and remnants from Alberta's past when dinosaurs roamed the then lush landscape.

Alberta is one of only two Canadian provinces to have no maritime coast (the other being the neighbouring province of Saskatchewan.)

Largest municipalities and metro areas by population

Census Metropolitan Areas:	2006	2001	1996
Calgary CMA	1,079,310	951,395	821,628
Edmonton CMA	1,034,945	937,845	862,597
Cities (10 Largest):
Calgary	1,019,942	878,866	768,082
Edmonton	730,372	666,104	616,306
Red Deer	82,772	67,707	60,080
Lethbridge	74,637	67,374	63,053
St. Albert (included in Edmonton CMA)	57,719	53,081	46,888
Medicine Hat	56,997	51,249	46,783
Grande Prairie	47,076	36,983	31,353
Airdrie (included in Calgary CMA)	28,927	20,382	15,946
Spruce Grove (included in Edmonton CMA)	19,496	15,983	14,271
Lloydminster (part)[5]	15,910	13,148	11,317
Districts (3 Largest):
Strathcona County (included in Edmonton CMA)	82,511	71,986	64,176
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo	51,496	42,581	35,213
Municipality of Rocky View (included in Calgary CMA)	34,171	29,925	23,326

Economy

Main article: Economy of Alberta

Alberta's economy is one of the strongest in Canada, supported by the burgeoning petroleum industry and to a lesser extent, agriculture and technology. The per capita GDP in 2006 was by far the highest of any province in Canada at C$69,789. This was 56% higher than the national average and more than twice that of some of the Atlantic provinces. This deviation from the national average was the largest for any province in Canadian history.^[6]

The Calgary-Edmonton Corridor is the most urbanized region in the province and one of the densest in Canada. Measured from north to south, the region covers a distance of roughly 400 kilometres. In 2001, the population of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor was 2.15 million (72% of Alberta's population).^[7] It is also one of the fastest growing regions in the country. A 2003 study by TD Bank Financial Group found the corridor to be the only Canadian urban centre to amass a U.S level of wealth while maintaining a Canadian-style quality of life, offering universal health care benefits. The study found that GDP per capita in the corridor is 10 percent above average U.S. metropolitan areas and 40 percent above other Canadian cities.

According to the Fraser Institute, Alberta also has very high levels of economic freedom. It is by far the most free economy in Canada,^[8] and is rated as the 4th most free economy of U.S. States and Canadian Provinces.^[9]

Industry

Alberta is the largest producer of conventional crude oil, synthetic crude, natural gas and gas products in the country. Alberta is the world’s 2nd largest exporter of natural gas and the 4th largest producer.^[10] Two of the largest producers of petrochemicals in North America are located in central and north central Alberta. In both Red Deer and Edmonton, world class polyethylene and vinyl manufacturers produce products shipped all over the world, and Edmonton's oil refineries provide the raw materials for a large petrochemical industry to the east of Edmonton.

The Athabasca Oil Sands (sometimes known as the Athabasca Tar sands) have estimated non-conventional oil reserves approximately equal to the conventional oil reserves of the rest of the world, estimated to be 1.6 trillion barrels (254 km³). With the development of new extraction methods such as steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), which was developed in Alberta, bitumen and synthetic crude oil can be produced at costs close to those of conventional crude. Many companies employ both conventional strip mining and non-conventional in situ methods to extract the bitumen from the oil sands. With current technology and at current prices, about 315 billion barrels (50 km³) of bitumen are recoverable. Fort McMurray, one of Canada's fastest growing cities, has grown enormously in recent years because of the large corporations which have taken on the task of oil production. As of late 2006 there were over $100 billion in oil sands projects under construction or in the planning stages in northeastern Alberta.^[11]

Another factor determining the viability of oil extraction from the Tar Sands is the price of oil. The oil price increases since 2003 have made it more than profitable to extract this oil, which in the past would give little profit or even a loss.

With concerted effort and support from the provincial government, several high-tech industries have found their birth in Alberta, notably patents related to interactive liquid crystal display systems.^[12] With a growing economy, Alberta has several financial institutions dealing with civil and private funds.

Agriculture and forestry

Agriculture has a significant position in the province's economy. Over three million cattle are residents of the province at one time or another,^[13] and Alberta beef has a healthy worldwide market. Nearly one half of all Canadian beef is produced in Alberta. Alberta is one of the prime producers of plains buffalo (bison) for the consumer market. Sheep for wool and mutton are also raised.

Wheat and canola are primary farm crops, with Alberta leading the provinces in spring wheat production, with other grains also prominent. Much of the farming is dryland farming, often with fallow seasons interspersed with cultivation. Continuous cropping (in which there is no fallow season) is gradually becoming a more common mode of production because of increased profits and a reduction of soil erosion. Across the province, the once common grain elevator is slowly being lost as rail lines are decreased and farmers now truck the grain to central points.

Alberta is the leading beekeeping province of Canada, with some beekeepers wintering hives indoors in specially designed barns in southern Alberta, then migrating north during the summer into the Peace River valley where the season is short but the working days are long for honeybees to produce honey from clover and fireweed. Hybrid canola also requires bee pollination, and some beekeepers service this need.

The vast northern forest reserves of softwood allow Alberta to produce large quantities of lumber, oriented strand board (OSB) and plywood, and several plants in northern Alberta supply North America and the Pacific Rim nations with bleached wood pulp and newsprint.

Government

Main articles: Politics of Alberta and Monarchy in Alberta

The government of Alberta is organized as a parliamentary democracy with a unicameral legislature. Its unicameral legislature—the Legislative Assembly—consists of eighty-three members.

Locally municipal governments and school boards are elected and operate separately. Their boundaries may or may not coincide. Municipalities where the same body acted as both local government and school board are formally referred to as "counties" in Alberta.

As Canada's head of state, Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state for the Government of Alberta. Her duties in Alberta are carried out by Lieutenant Governor, Norman Kwong. Although the Lieutenant Governor is technically the most powerful person in Alberta, (s)he is in reality a figurehead whose actions are restricted by custom and constitutional convention. The government is therefore headed by the Premier. The current Premier is Ed Stelmach who was elected as leader of the governing Progressive Conservatives on December 2, 2006. Stelmach was sworn in as the 13th Alberta premier on December 15, 2006.

As is always the case in a parliamentary system of government, the Premier is a Member of the Legislative Assembly, and he draws all the members of his Cabinet from among the Members of the Legislative Assembly.

The City of Edmonton is the seat of the provincial government—the capital of Alberta.

The province's revenue comes mainly from the taxation of oil, natural gas, beef, softwood lumber, and wheat, but also includes a tax on corporate and personal income, gaming revenue, and grants from the federal government primarily for infrastructure projects. Albertans are the lowest-taxed people in Canada, and Alberta is the only province in Canada without a provincial sales tax (though residents are still subject to the federal sales tax, the Goods and Services Tax). Alberta's municipalities and school jurisdictions have their own governments which (usually) work in co-operation with the provincial government.

Alberta's elections tend to yield results which are much more conservative than those of other Canadian provinces. Alberta has traditionally had three political parties, the Progressive Conservatives ("Conservatives" or "Tories"), the Liberals, and the social democratic New Democrats. A fourth party, the strongly conservative Social Credit Party, was a power in Alberta for many decades, but fell from the political map after the Progressive Conservatives came to power in 1971. Since that time, no other political party has governed Alberta. In fact, only four parties have governed Alberta: the Liberals, from 1905 to 1921; the United Farmers of Alberta, from 1921 to 1935; the Social Credit Party, from 1935 to 1971, and the currently governing Progressive Conservative Party, from 1971 to the present.

As is the case with many western Canadian provinces, Alberta has had occasional surges in separatist sentiment. Even during the 1980s, when these feelings were at their strongest, there has never been enough interest in secession to initiate any major movements or referendums. There are a number of groups wishing to promote the independence of Alberta in some form currently active in the province. See also: Alberta separatism.

In the 2008 provincial election, held on March 3, 2008, the Progressive Conservative Party was re-elected as a majority government with 72 of 83 seats, the Alberta Liberal Party was elected as the Official Opposition with nine members, and the Alberta New Democratic Party elected two members.^[14]

See also: List of Alberta Premiers and List of Alberta general elections

Education

Main article: Education in Alberta

As with any Canadian province, the Alberta Legislature has (almost) exclusive authority to make laws respecting education. Since 1905 the Legislature has used this capacity to continue the model of locally elected public and separate school boards which originated prior to 1905, as well as to create and/or regulate universities, colleges, technical institutions and other educational forms and institutions (public charter schools, private schools, home schooling).

K–12

There are forty-two public school jurisdictions in Alberta, and seventeen operating separate school jurisdictions. Sixteen of the operating separate school jurisdictions have a Roman Catholic electorate, and one (St. Albert) has a Protestant electorate. In addition, one Protestant separate school district, Glen Avon, survives as a ward of the St. Paul Education Region. The City of Lloydminster straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan border, and both the public and separate school systems in that city are counted in the above numbers: both of them operate according to Saskatchewan law.

For many years the provincial government has funded the greater part of the cost of providing K–12 education. Prior to 1994 public and separate school boards in Alberta had the legislative authority to levy a local tax on property, as supplementary support for local education. In 1994 the government of the province eliminated this right for public school boards, but not for separate school boards. Since 1994 there has continued to be a tax on property in support of K–12 education; the difference is that the mill rate is now set by the provincial government, the money is collected by the local municipal authority and remitted to the provincial government. The relevant legislation requires that all the money raised by this property tax must go to the support of K–12 education provided by school boards. The provincial government pools the property tax funds from across the province and distributes them, according to a formula, to public and separate school jurisdictions and Francophone authorities.

Public and separate school boards, charter schools, and private schools all follow the Program of Studies and the curriculum approved by the provincial department of education (Alberta Education). Home schoolers may choose to follow the Program of Studies or develop their own Program of Studies. Public and separate schools, charter schools, and approved private schools all employ teachers who are certificated by Alberta Education, they administer Provincial Achievement Tests and Diploma Examinations set by Alberta Education, and they may grant high school graduation certificates endorsed by Alberta Education.

Post-secondary

Alberta's oldest and largest university is Edmonton's University of Alberta. The University of Calgary, once affiliated with the University of Alberta, gained its autonomy in 1966, and is now the second largest university in Alberta. There is also Athabasca University, which focuses on distance learning, and the University of Lethbridge. There are 15 colleges that receive direct public funding, along with two technical institutes, NAIT and SAIT.^[15] There is also a large and active private sector of post-secondary institutions, including DeVry University. Students may also receive government loans and grants while attending selected private institutions. There has been some controversy in recent years over the rising cost of post-secondary education for students (as opposed to taxpayers). In 2005, Premier Ralph Klein made a promise that he would freeze tuition and look into ways of reducing schooling costs.^[16] So far, no plan has been released by the government of Alberta.

Infrastructure

Alberta has over 180,000 km of highways and roads, of which nearly 50,000 km are paved. The main north-south corridor is Highway 2, which begins south of Cardston at the Carway border crossing and is part of the CANAMEX Corridor. Highway 4, which effectively extends U.S. Interstate Highway 15 into Alberta and is the busiest U.S. gateway to the province, begins at the Coutts border crossing and ends at Lethbridge. Highway 3 joins Lethbridge to Fort Macleod and links Highway 4 to Highway 2. Highway 2 travels northward through Fort Macleod, Calgary, Red Deer, and Edmonton before dividing into two highways. The section of Highway 2 between Calgary and Edmonton has been named the Queen Elizabeth II Highway to commemorate the visit of the monarch in 2005. Past Edmonton, one branch continues northwest as Highway 43 into Grande Prairie and the Peace River Country; the other (Highway 63) travels northeast to Fort McMurray, the location of the Athabasca Oil Sands. Highway 2 is supplemented by two more highways that run parallel to it: Highway 22, west of highway 2, known as "the cowboy trail," and Highway 21, east of highway 2.

Alberta has two main east-west corridors. The southern corridor, part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, enters the province near Medicine Hat, runs westward through Calgary, and leaves Alberta through Banff National Park. The northern corridor, also part of the Trans-Canada network but known alternatively as the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16), runs west from Lloydminster in eastern Alberta, through Edmonton and Jasper National Park into British Columbia. On a sunny spring or fall day, one of the most scenic drives is along the Icefields Parkway, which runs for 228 km between Jasper and Lake Louise, with mountain ranges and glaciers on either side of its entire length.

Another major corridor through central Alberta is Highway 11 (also known as the David Thompson Highway), which runs west from the Saskatchewan River Crossing in Banff National Park through Rocky Mountain House and Red Deer, connecting with Highway 12 20 km west of Stettler. The highway connects many of the smaller towns in central Alberta with Calgary and Edmonton, as it crosses Highway 2 just west of Red Deer.

Urban stretches of Alberta's major highways and freeways are often called trails. For example, Highway 2 is Deerfoot Trail as it passes through Calgary, Calgary Trail as it leaves Edmonton southbound, and St. Albert Trail as it leaves Edmonton northbound toward the city of St. Albert. Visitors from outside Alberta often find this disconcerting, accustomed as they are to the notion that a trail is an unpaved route primarily for pedestrians.

See also: List of Alberta provincial highways

Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, and Lethbridge have substantial mass transit systems. Edmonton and Calgary also operate light rail vehicles.

Alberta is well-connected by air, with international airports at both Edmonton and Calgary. Calgary International Airport and Edmonton International Airport are the fourth and fifth busiest in Canada respectively. Calgary's airport is a hub for WestJet Airlines and a regional hub for Air Canada. Calgary's airport primarily serves the Canadian prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) for connecting flights to British Columbia, eastern Canada, 15 major US centres, nine European airports, and four destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.^[17] Edmonton's airport acts as a hub for the Canadian north and has connections to all major Canadian airports as well as 10 major US airports, 3 European airports and 6 Mexican and Caribbean airports.

See also: List of airports in Alberta

There are over 9000 km of operating mainline railway, and many tourists see Alberta aboard Via Rail or Rocky Mountain Railtours. The Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway companies operate railway freight across the province.

Health care in Alberta is divided into nine health regions: Aspen Regional Health Authority: Calgary Health Region, Capital Health (Edmonton), Chinook Health, David Thompson Regional Health Authority, East Central Health, Northern Lights Health Region, Palliser Health Region and Peace Country Health Region.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Alberta

Summer brings many festivals to the province. The Edmonton Fringe Festival is the world's second largest after Edinburgh's. The folk music festivals in both Calgary and Edmonton are two of Canada's largest and both cities host a number of annual multicultural events. With a large number of summer and winter events, Edmonton prides itself as being the "Festival City". The city's "heritage days" festival sees the participation of over 70 national groups. Calgary is also home to Carifest, the second largest Caribbean festival in the nation (after Caribana in Toronto). The city is also famous for its Calgary Stampede, dubbed "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth." The Stampede is Canada's biggest rodeo festival and features various races and competitions like calf roping, and bull riding. These events highlight the province's cultural diversity and love of entertainment. Most of the major cities have several performing theatre companies who entertain in venues as diverse as Edmonton's Arts Barns and the Francis Winspear Centre for Music.

See also: Festivals in Alberta

Alberta also has significant ethnic diversity. Both the Chinese and East Indian communities are significant. According to Statistics Canada, Alberta is home to the second highest proportion (two percent) of Francophones in western Canada (after Manitoba). Many of Alberta's French-speaking residents live in the central and northwestern regions of the province. As reported in the 2001 census, the Chinese represented nearly four percent of Alberta's population and East Indians represented better than two percent. Both Edmonton and Calgary have Chinatowns and Calgary's is Canada's third largest. The Chinese presence began with workers employed in the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s. Aboriginal Albertans make up approximately three percent of the population.

The major contributors to Alberta's ethnic diversity have been the European nations.^[18] Forty-four percent of Albertans are of British and Irish descent, and there are also large numbers of Germans, Ukrainians and Scandinavians. Amongst those of British origins, the Scots have had a particularly strong influence, with many place-names (including Calgary, Airdrie, Canmore and Banff) having Scottish origins.

Both cities are home to Canadian Football League and National Hockey League teams. Soccer, rugby union and lacrosse are also played professionally in Alberta.

Alberta is home to speakers of a number of languages, with many minority languages growing due to immigration. English remains the only official language used in all government services, although French is also an official language of the courts.

See also: Languages of Canada

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Alberta

Alberta has been a tourist destination from the early days of the twentieth century, with attractions including outdoor locales for skiing, hiking and camping, shopping locales such as West Edmonton Mall, outdoor festivals, professional athletic events, international sporting competitions such as the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games, as well as more eclectic attractions.

According to Alberta Economic Development, Edmonton and Calgary both host over four million visitors annually. Banff, Jasper and the Rocky Mountains are visited by about three million people per year.^[19]

Alberta's Rocky Mountains include well known tourist destinations Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. The two mountain parks are connected by the scenic Icefields Parkway. Banff is located 128 km west of Calgary on Highway 1 and Jasper is located 366 km west of Edmonton on Yellowhead Highway. 5 of Canada's 13 UNESCO World heritage sites are located within the province: Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, Wood Buffalo National Park, Dinosaur Provincial Park and Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump.

About 1.2 million people pass through the gates of Calgary's world-famous Stampede,^[20] a celebration of Canada's own Wild West and the cattle ranching industry. About 800,000 people enjoy Edmonton's Capital Ex (formerly Klondike Days).^[21] Edmonton was the gateway to the only all-Canadian route to the Yukon gold fields, and the only route which did not require gold-seekers to travel the exhausting and dangerous Chilkoot Pass.

Located in East-Central Alberta is Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions, a popular tourist attraction operated out of Stettler that draws visitors from around the world. It boasts one of the few operable steam trains in the world, offering trips through the rolling prairie scenery. Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions caters to tens of thousands of visitors every year.

Alberta is an important destination for tourists who love to ski and hike; Alberta boasts several world-class ski resorts such as Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, Marmot Basin, Norquay and Nakiska. Hunters and fishermen from around the world are able to take home impressive trophies and tall tales from their experiences in Alberta's wilderness.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Alberta

Alberta has enjoyed a relatively high rate of growth in recent years, due in large part to its burgeoning economy. Between 2003 and 2004, the province saw high birthrates (on par with some larger provinces such as British Columbia), relatively high immigration, and a high rate of interprovincial migration when compared to other provinces.^[22] Approximately 81% of the population live in urban areas and only about 19% live in rural areas. The Calgary-Edmonton Corridor is the most urbanized area in the province and is one of the most densely populated areas of Canada.^[23] Many of Alberta's cities and towns have also experienced very high rates of growth in recent history. Over the past century, Alberta's population rose from 73,022 in 1901 to 2,974,807 in 2001^[18] and 3,290,350 according to the 2006 census^[24]

Languages

The 2006 census found that English, with 2,576,670 native speakers, was the mother tongue of 79.99% of Albertans. The next most common mother tongues were Chinese languages with 97,275 native-speakers (3.02%); followed by German with 84,505 native-speakers (2.62%); and French with 61,225 (1.90%);then Punjabi 36,320 (1.13%); Tagalog 29,740 (0.92%); Ukrainian 29,455 (0.91%); Spanish 29,125 (0.90%); and Polish 21,990 (0.68%); Arabic 20,495 (0.64%); Dutch 19,980 (0.62%); and Vietnamese 19,350 (0.60%). The most common aboriginal language is Cree 17,215 (0.53%). Other common mother tongues include Italian with 13,095 speakers (0.41%); Urdu with 11,275 (0.35%); and Korean with 10,845 (0.33%); then Hindi 8,985 (0.28%); Farsi 7,700 (0.24%); Portuguese 7,205 (0.22%); and Hungarian 6,770 (0.21%).
(Figures shown are for the number of single language responses and the percentage of total single-language responses.)^[25]

Ethnicity

In the 2001 Canadian census, 387,445 Albertans (13.17%) identified themselves as "Canadian" while 426,035 (14.49%) identified some other ethnicity as well as "Canadian", making a total of 813,485 (27.66%) for "Canadian". The other most commonly reported ethnicities were: 753,185 English (25.61%); and 576,350 German (19.60%); 556,575 Scottish (18.92%); 461,065 Irish (15.68%); 332,675 French (11.31%); 285,725 Ukrainian (9.71%); 149,225 Dutch (5.07%); 144,040 North American Indian (4.90%); 137,625 Polish (4.68%); 120,050 Norwegian (4.08%); and 108,050 Chinese (3.67%). (Each person could choose more than one ethnicity.)^[26]

Religion

As of the Canada 2001 Census the largest religious group was Roman Catholic, representing 25.7% of the population. Alberta had the second highest percentage of non-religious residents in Canada (after British Columbia) at 23.1% of the population. Of the remainder, 13.5% of the population identified themselves as belonging to the United Church, while 5.9% were Anglican. Lutherans made up 4.8% of the population while Baptists comprised 2.5%. The remainder had a wide variety of different religious affiliations, although no individual group constituted more than 2% of the population.^[27]

The Mormons of Alberta reside primarily in the extreme south of the province and made up 1.7% of the population. Alberta has a population of Hutterites, a communal Anabaptist sect similar to the Mennonites (Hutterites represented 0.4% of the population while Mennonites were 0.8%), and has a significant population of Seventh-day Adventists at 0.3%. Alberta is home to several Byzantine Rite Churches as part of the legacy of Eastern European immigration, including the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada's Western Diocese which is based in Edmonton.

Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus live in Alberta. Muslims constituted 1.7% of the population, Sikhs 0.8% and Hindus 0.5%. Many of these are recent immigrants, but others have roots that go back to the first settlers of the prairies.^{[citation needed]} North America's oldest mosque is located in Edmonton.^{[citation needed]}

Jews constituted 0.4% of Alberta's population. Most of Alberta's 13,000 Jews live in Calgary (7,500) and Edmonton (5,000).^[28]

History

Main article: History of Alberta

The province of Alberta, as far north as about 53° north latitude, was a part of Rupert's Land from the time of the incorporation of the Hudson's Bay Company (1670). After the arrival in the North-West of the French around 1731 they settled the prairies of the west, establishing communities such as Lac La Biche and Bonnyville. Fort La Jonquière was established near what is now Calgary in (1752). The North West Company of Montreal occupied the northern part of Alberta territory before the Hudson's Bay Company arrived from Hudson Bay to take possession of it. The first explorer of the Athabasca region was Peter Pond, who, on behalf of the North West Company of Montreal, built Fort Athabasca on Lac La Biche in 1778. Roderick Mackenzie built Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca ten years later in 1788. His cousin, Sir Alexander Mackenzie followed the North Saskatchewan River to its northernmost point near Edmonton, then setting northward on foot, trekked to the Athabasca River, which he followed to Lake Athabasca. It was there he discovered the mighty outflow river which bears his name—the Mackenzie River—which he followed to its outlet in the Arctic Ocean. Returning to Lake Athabasca, he followed the Peace River upstream, eventually reaching the Pacific Ocean, and so being the first white man to cross the North American continent north of Mexico.^[29]

The district of Alberta was created as part of the North-West Territories in 1882. As settlement increased, local representatives to the North-West Legislative Assembly were added. After a long campaign for autonomy, in 1905 the district of Alberta was enlarged and given provincial status, with the election of Alexander Cameron Rutherford as the first premier.

Ecology

Fauna

The three climatic regions (alpine, forest, and prairie) of Alberta are home to many different species of animals. The south and central prairie was the land of the bison, its grasses providing a great pasture and breeding ground for millions of buffalo. The buffalo population was decimated during early settlement, but since then buffalo have made a strong comeback, and thrive on farms and in parks all over Alberta.

Alberta is home to many large carnivores. Among them are the grizzly and black bears, which are found in the mountains and wooded regions. Smaller carnivores of the canine and feline families include coyotes, wolves, fox, lynx, bobcat and mountain lion (cougar).

Herbivorous, or plant-eating animals, are found throughout the province. Moose and deer (both mule and white-tail varieties) are found in the wooded regions, and pronghorn can be found in the prairies of southern Alberta. Bighorn sheep and mountain goats live in the Rocky Mountains. Rabbits, porcupines, skunks, squirrels, and many species of rodents and reptiles live in every corner of the province. Alberta is fortunate in that it is home to only one variety of venomous snake, the prairie rattlesnake.

Central and northern Alberta and the region farther north is the nesting-ground of the migratory birds. Vast numbers of ducks, geese, swans, and pelicans arrive in Alberta every spring and nest on or near one of the hundreds of small lakes that dot northern Alberta. Eagles, hawks, owls, and crows are plentiful, and a huge variety of smaller seed and insect-eating birds can be found. Alberta, like other temperate regions, is home to mosquitoes, flies, wasps, and bees. Rivers and lakes are well stocked with pike, walleye, whitefish, rainbow, speckled, and brown trout, and even sturgeon. Turtles are found in some water bodies in the southern part of the province. Frogs and salamanders are a few of the amphibians that make their homes in Alberta.

Alberta is the only province in Canada, as well as one of the few places in the world which is free of Norwegian rats.^[30] Since the early 1950s, the government of Alberta has operated a rat-control program which has been so successful that only isolated instances of wild rat sightings are reported, usually of rats arriving in the province aboard trucks or by rail. In 2006, Alberta Agriculture reports zero findings of wild rats; the only rat interceptions have been domesticated rats which have been seized from their owners. It is illegal for individual Albertans to own or keep Norwegian rats of any description; the animals can only be kept in the province by zoos, universities and colleges, and recognized research institutions.

Flora

In central and northern Alberta the arrival of spring brings the prairie crocus anemone, the three flowered avens, golden bean, and other early flowers. The advancing summer introduces many flowers of the sunflower family, until in August the plains are one blaze of yellow and purple. The southern and east central parts of Alberta are covered by a short, nutritious grass, which dries up as summer lengthens, to be replaced by hardy perennials such as the prairie coneflower, fleabane, and sage. Both yellow and white sweet clover fill the ditches with their beauty and aromatic scents. The trees in the parkland region of the province grow in clumps and belts on the hillsides. These are largely deciduous, typically aspen, poplar, and willow. Many species of willow and other shrubs grow in virtually any terrain. On the north side of the North Saskatchewan River evergreen forests prevail for hundreds of thousands of square kilometres. Aspen poplar, balsam poplar (or cottonwood), and paper birch are the primary large deciduous species. Conifers include Jack pine, Rocky Mountain pine, Lodgepole pine, both white and black spruce, and the deciduous conifer tamarack.

See also

• Alberta Advantage
• Alberta Separatism
• Family Law Act
• Emergency Public Warning System

References

External links

• Government of Alberta website
• Travel Alberta
• Alberta Government Workforce Solutions
• Alberta First—Alberta Community Profiles, statistics, facts
• Alberta Stars—Alberta Community Website, News and Galleries from across the Province
• CBC Digital Archives—Striking Oil in Alberta
• CBC Digital Archives—Electing Dynasties: Alberta Campaigns 1935 to 2001
• CBC Digital Archives—Alberta @ 100

Subdivisions of Alberta
Subdivisions	Regions · Census divisions · Counties and municipal districts · School districts · Regional Health Authorities
Communities	Cities · Towns · Villages · Hamlets · Indian reserves · Métis Settlements · Ghost towns
Cities and Special Centres	Airdrie · Brooks · Calgary · Camrose · Cold Lake · Edmonton · Fort McMurray · Fort Saskatchewan · Grande Prairie · Leduc · Lethbridge · Lloydminster (part) · Medicine Hat · Red Deer · Sherwood Park · Spruce Grove · St. Albert · Wetaskiwin

Topics on Alberta
History	Fur trade • Numbered Treaties • Alberta Act • Oil exploration• Oil sands • Social Credit • Historic sites • Natural gas liquids
Politics	Political parties • Elections (last) • Government • Lieutenant Governor • Cabinet • Premiers (current) • Speaker • Legislature • Electoral districts (federal)
Geography	Demographics • Mountains • Provincial parks • Lakes • Rivers
Communities	Counties and Municipal Districts • Towns • Villages • Hamlets • Indian Reserves • Métis • Census divisions
Economy	Companies • ATB • Tourism • Highways • Airports
Culture	Education • Festivals • First Nations • Franco-Albertan • Music • Sports • People • Symbols • Flag • Coat of arms • Anthem

Provinces and territories of Canada
Provinces	British Columbia · Alberta · Saskatchewan · Manitoba · Ontario · Quebec · New Brunswick · Nova Scotia · Prince Edward Island · Newfoundland and Labrador
Territories	Yukon · Northwest Territories · Nunavut

Coordinates: 55°10′N 114°24′W / 55.167, -114.4 (Alberta)

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Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Alberta". Image Credit.

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