Canada Guide

Alberta is one of Canada’s prairie provinces and is located in the country’s western part. In the west, it is bounded by the British Columbia province, in the east by Saskatchewan, in the north by the Northwest Territories and the south by the U.S state of Montana. Edmonton is Alberta’s capital and is located south of the province’s centre. The province’s largest city is Calgary which is located 300 kms south of Edmonton. Calgary is a major transportation hub and one of the major commerce centers of Canada.

Geography and Climate
Alberta has an area of 661,850 square kms and is the fourth largest province of Canada. In the north, the province extends to 1223 kms from north to south and 660 kms from east to west. Its highest point is located at Mount Columbia’s summit in the Rocky Mountains and the lowest point is located in the Slave River in the Wood Buffalo National Park. Alberta has a number of lakes and rivers and has adequate water resources. Most of the province’s northern half has boreal forest and the Rocky Mountains are largely forested. The southern part of the province is prairie and the central region extends in an arc between the forests and the prairies. This central region contains the maximum fertile soil and population in the province.
Alberta has a climate of dry continental type with cold winters and warm summers. During the winter Alberta has a minimum temperature of about -54°c in the north and -46°c in the south. During summer the maximum temperature ranges from 32°c in the mountains to 40°c in southern parts.

History
Alberta, after 1670 was a part of Rupert’s Land. After the French arrival in 1731 in the northwest, communities like Bonnyville and Lac La Biche were established. Peter Pond was Athabasca region’s first explorer and he built the Fort Athabasca at Lac La Biche in the year 1778 on Northwest Company’s behalf. In 1788, the Fort Chipewyan was built by Roderick Mackenzie on Lake Athabasca. Sir Mackenzie discovered the river of mighty outflow, which presently bears his name, the Mackenzie River. The Alberta district was created in the year 1882 as the Northwest Territories’ part. The district of Alberta was enlarged and given the provincial status in 1905.

Economy
Alberta has one of the strongest economy in Canada which is supported by its growing petroleum industry, and a lesser extent by technology and agriculture. It has the highest per capita GDP than the other provinces of Canada. The most urbanized region of Alberta is the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor, which is also one of the country’s fastest growing regions. Also the province has the country’s most free economy.

Tourism
Alberta has many tourist attractions which include, outdoor locales for hiking, skiing and camping; shopping locales like Calgary Stampede and West Edmonton Mall. Other great attractions include outdoor festivals, international sporting competitions, professional athletic events, etc. The natural attractions in Alberta include the Wood Buffalo National Park, Columbia Icefields and the Elk Island National Park. The Rock Mountains in Alberta has famous tourist destinations like Jasper National Park and Banff National Park.

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