Prairie Provinces
Provinces:
- Manitoba
- Saskatchewan
- Alberta
The Prairie Provinces are known for fertile agricultural land and valuable energy resources.
The Prairies
Flat plains covering much of southern central Canada. Once grassland, now farms and ranches. Few trees, rich soil. Northern and western areas more hills, valleys, rivers. Along the western edge of Alberta, the prairies gradually rise to meet the Rocky Mountains on the border between Alberta and British Columbia.
People
First Nations, and later Métis, lived and worked on the Prairies as traders, suppliers and guides and interpreters. Early Europeans mostly French fur traders.
The railway was built in the early 1800s, enabling serious immigration westward. In the early 1900s, about 3 million people came in from Britain and Europe.
Economy
About 1/2 of Canada's energy comes from natural gas and oil reserves, of which Alberta is the major producer. Alberta also mines coal.
Saskatchewan: oil, gas, uranium, potash.
Manitoba: hydroelectric supplier for Prairie region. Land of a Hundred Thousand Lakes. Looks pretty darn wet on the map.
Most everyone in the Prairie region works in service industries:
- business & financial services
- transportation
- tourism
- retail
- health & education
Farming & Ranching
Manitoba: heavy rainfall nets wide variety of grain crops.
Saskatchewan: leading wheat producer of Canada.
Alberta: leading producer of beef cattle and feed grain production.
Manufacturing
Manitoba: food, transportation equipment, metal products, electrical goods, clothing.
Saskatchewan: some sort of manufacturing. Forestry & mining, too.
Alberta: food & beverage processing.
Population:
- Manitoba: 1.2 million
- Saskatchewan: 1 million
- Alberta: 3.4 million
Total Population: 5.6 million
pp 23-24