If you are looking at a map of the nation of Canada, and you see it’s political divisions, you will no doubt see the province of Alberta. It is a large province in the western part of the nation, and is considered a “prairie province,” alongside of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. How large is this province? It has about 255,000 square miles (662,000 square kilometers) of land that is included in it. How large is that? Well, Texas has around 261,000 square miles of land, which means that Texas is just a little bigger than Alberta. The Midwest region of the United States, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin, altogether has around 243,000 square miles, making the Midwest just a little smaller, in it’s entirety, than Alberta.
But, when it comes to population, Alberta is much smaller. It’s population of 3.6 million people doesn’t even compare to Texas’ 25 million people, or the Midwest’s 46.2 million people.
In other words, Alberta is a large place with a very low population density. And, since much of the population lives in the two largest cities in the province, Calgary and Edmonton, and in the corridor in between the two cities, it makes the population density for the rest of this vast province seem even more minute and scarce.
What makes Alberta so interesting is its range of climates. In the northern half of the province, there are vast amounts of undamaged and virgin forests, which itself is part of the massive boreal forests which stretch from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. South of the forests is a massive area that takes up much of the rest of the state which is known as “aspen parkland.” This region has the most fertile soil in Alberta and is the most heavily farmed. It is also where the heavily populated Calgary-Edmonton corridor is.
In the far south and eastern part of the province are the prairies, which are part of the North American prairie region that stretches from Canada’s prairie provinces in the North to Texas in the south. This area is also farmed, but to a lesser extent than the aspen parklands. Since this area is more arid than the parklands, it is used either for ranching or for irrigated agriculture.
In the southwestern part of the province lie part of the Rocky Mountains, which continue into the United States. Although other parts of Alberta have their beauty, this part of the province surpasses all other parts of the province with its breathtaking beauty and views. Snow-capped mountain peaks, pristine forests and lakes, and large populations of wildlife are among the beautiful things to be seen here.
Because of its location on the North American continent, Alberta has hot summers and cold winters – temperatures can range from 104° F (40° C) in the summer to -51° F (-46° C) in the winter, and that’s just the southern part of the province. It can get much colder when you get farther north. One interesting weather phenomenon that they have in the winter months is the occasional occurrence of some winds from the mountains in the southwest known as the “Chinook winds” which can increase the temperature by as much as 50° F in as little as one hour!
It’s economy is one of the best in the world, and its people make an average household income about 50% higher than the Canadian nation average. It’s economy is diverse, with plenty of industry, manufacturing, and tourism, but the strongest part of its economy right now is the oil industry, especially because of the oil extraction that takes place at the Athabasca Oil Sands on the northeastern part of the province – these oil sands are estimated to have as much oil in them as all the oil reserves in the rest of the world.
If you ever get a chance to visit Alberta, make sure to visit the cities of Calgary and Edmonton, as well as the Rocky Mountains in the southwest. While in the mountains, be sure to check out the picturesque beauty, the wildlife, and the trees, flowers and other plant life in the region. And the people, they’re great! They are so kind and friendly.
Don’t pass up an opportunity to visit Alberta!
