Alberta

Alberta, Canada.

Alberta (pronounced /æɫˈbɝ|ðə/ in English) is a of the ten provinces that, together with the three territories, make up the thirteen federal entities of Canada. Its capital is Edmonton and its most populous city, Calgary. It is located in the west of the country, bordering the Northwest Territories to the north, Saskatchewan to the east, the United States to the south, and British Columbia to the west. With 4,067,175 hab. in 2016 it is the fourth most populous entity, behind Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.

Alberta is part of the Prairie Provinces and the Western Provinces. It was created on September 1, 1905, when it was separated from the Northwest Territories. On September 1, 2005, Alberta celebrated its centenary as a province.

The capital of the province is Edmonton, with the most populous urban center being Calgary, the city where the Winter Olympics were held in 1988. Other important towns are Banff, Camrose, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat or Red Deer.

Alberta has one of the strongest and most influential economies in Canada. The province is a large producer of oil and natural gas. Alberta produces about 70% of Canada's oil and natural gas. Much of these natural resources are exported to the United States. In addition to that, agriculture, the manufacturing industry, finance and tourism are also of great importance in the economy of the province.

The region where Alberta is now, formerly belonged to the Hudson's Bay Company. In 1870, the Hudson's Bay Company ceded its territories to the government of Canada. These territories were renamed the Northwest Territories, occupying the region where they are today, as well as Alberta, Manitoba, Nunavut, and Saskatchewan. In 1882, the Canadian government named the region Alberta, in honor of Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. Specifically, the district of Alberta was named for the Marquess of Lorne, husband of the princess who wrote this verse to him in honor of the occasion. "As a token of the love you have shown for this great land of liberty, I have named a vast province, famed for its beauty, to be henceforth known as your dear name. It will be Alberta!

On September 1, 1905, the Canadian government created the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan by dividing the southern lands from the Northwest Territories.

History

Until 1905

Native Indians lived in the region where the province of Alberta is now located long before the arrival of the first Europeans. Various indigenous tribes lived in the region, most of them from the Assiniboine, Blackfoot, or Cree Amerindian family.

In 1670, the Hudson's Bay Company obtained permission to begin the Indian fur trade and game hunting in the region where Alberta is located today. Alberta, then, was part of a huge region called Rupert's Land. However, the region would remain unexplored by Europeans until 1754. This year, Anthony Henday was sent by the Hudson's Bay Company to the region, with the goal of initiating friendly relations with the region's indigenous natives and barter trade. Henday spent the winter of 1754-1755 with the Blackfoot Indians. The first trading post and fort built in the region were opened in 1778, at Lac La Biche, by Peter Pond, an American businessman working for the North West Company, a competitor to the Hudson's Bay Company. The North West Company would leave the region in 1821. The first permanent settlement still inhabited today is Edmonton, founded in 1795 by the Hudson's Bay Company.

Beginning in the 1800s, Métis began to settle in the region. However, the region was still sparsely populated, and the inhabitants of European origin at the time were reduced to a few dozen traders and hunters. Beginning in the 1840s, Catholic missionaries went to explore the region. The first to do so was Robert Rundle, who explored the region between 1840 and 1848. In 1843, Catholic missionaries founded a Catholic mission at Lac Claire. In 1868, they founded the city of St. Albert.

In 1870, the Hudson's Bay Company decided to transfer control of Rupert's Land to the British government. He immediately ceded these lands to the newly founded Canada. The Canadian government renamed these lands the Northwest Territories. During the 1870s, the Canadian government created and developed the Canadian Mounted Police, a Canadian police force, which was originally created with the goal of protecting the sparsely populated Northwest Territories from American merchants who were illegally distributing alcoholic beverages in Canada., especially.

The Canadian government began to take measures to encourage the settlement of the interior of the country. In 1882, the Canadian government divided the southern Northwest Territories into four districts: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Assiniboia, and Athabasca. Later, in the 1890s, the Canadian government would merge Athabasca and a small part of Assiniboia with Alberta and the remainder of the district of Assiniboia with the district of Saskatchewan. In 1883, the Canadian Pacific Railway, a railway line then under construction, from Montreal to Vancouver, reached Calgary. At that time, the white population of Alberta was 500, mostly ranchers. From then on, thanks to the railway, thousands of immigrants and people from other parts of the country settled in the region, under the promise of the Canadian government to offer land to those who wanted to settle in the region.

On September 1, 1905, the province was founded as such.

Since 1905

Alexander Rutherford, Alberta's first Premier.

Throughout the first decades of the 20th century, thousands of people continued to settle in Alberta, drawn by the promise of of free land to cultivate. The economy of the province, until the end of the First World War, depended heavily on agriculture. The discovery of oil reserves in 1914 and Canada's entry into the war did little to industrialize and diversify the province's economy.

After the end of the war, it entered a great economic depression. The low prices charged for farm-produced goods and long periods of drought destroyed the province's agricultural economy between 1918 and 1921. In this year, the majority of the province's population voted for representatives of a newly founded political party, and virtually unknown, the conservative-leaning United Farmers of Alberta. Until then, the province was governed by the Alberta Liberal Party. From 1921, all Alberta governors would be leaders of conservative political parties. The United Farmers of Alberta would establish public schools throughout the province and build various highways and railways.

Its economy began to recover from 1922. However, the province would once again enter a recession, much greater than that which occurred in 1920, with the onset of the Great Depression, in 1929. Long periods of drought extended throughout Throughout the 1930s, large infestations of grasshoppers devoured much of what farmers of the time managed to grow. The few farmers who managed to grow any crops successfully had to charge incredibly low prices. As a consequence, the vast majority of farmers fell into debt. Many fled the countryside for the cities, which were also hit by the depression, with shops and businesses going bankrupt, and high unemployment rates. In 1934, again the population of Alberta would vote for the representatives of a recently founded, and almost unknown, political party, the Social Credit. Its leader, William Aberhert, became Governor of Alberta in 1935. He had promised the population to solve the problems of the Depression, but the few measures that Aberhert took to try to solve the problems of the Depression were annulled by the Parliament of Canada, which judged that such measures were unconstitutional.

The effects of the Great Depression would last until 1939, when Canada entered World War II. Thereafter, Alberta's economy would prosper. The cities of Calgary and Edmonton industrialized, attracting thousands of people. Regular rainy periods would return in 1938, allowing farmers to grow large amounts of food. Arms, supplies and much food were sent to Montreal and from there to the United Kingdom.

In 1947, large oil reserves were discovered in Leduc, a small town near Edmonton. The province, since then, industrialized rapidly. By 1954, manufacturing had overtaken agriculture as Alberta's largest source of income. Thousands of people, many of them immigrants, settled in the province. The royalties that the Alberta government received for the extraction of oil in the province allowed the construction of roads, hospitals, schools and improvements in various public services. The province urbanized rapidly. In 1945, only 25% of Alberta's population lived in the province's two largest cities, Calgary or Edmonton. In 1966, this percentage had risen to 50%, and today this percentage is approximately 70%.

During the 1960s and 1970s, extensive reserves of natural gas and oil were found in the province. Until the 1950s, Alberta was also a large producer of coal, but the declining use of coal as a fuel in North America gradually decreased annual coal production in Alberta. This production stabilized only in 1967, when Japan switched to importing coal from the United States and Canada.

In addition, large bitumen reserves were discovered in the 1960s — today the province has the largest reserves of this natural resource in the world, more than all other bitumen reserves in the world combined. Two processing centers and a group of factories and refineries were built to extract fuel from these bitumen reserves, the first in 1967 and the second in 1978.

Beginning in the 1970s, Alberta's economy began to diversify. Calgary became the largest financial center in western Canada, and tourism became increasingly important in the province's economy. In 1988, Calgary hosted the Winter Olympics. As recently as 2001, the province approved private companies to enter the electricity production and distribution market. Until then, only provincial companies could generate and distribute electricity in the province. The lack of regulation of this market has caused larger increases in the prices of electricity generated in Alberta in recent years, compared to years when electricity generation and distribution was the sole responsibility of the provincial government.

Government and administration

View of the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton, the political capital of Alberta.

Jasper Avenue, main office centre

The government of the province responds to the scheme of a parliamentary monarchy. The head of state is the monarch of the United Kingdom, Charles III, but, since he lives in London, the Lieutenant Governor takes his place in all his responsibilities. The head of government, in practice, and also the highest official of the executive branch of the province is the Premier, or prime minister, the person who leads the political party with the most seats in the Legislative Assembly. The Premier of Alberta chairs an Executive Council, which is the Cabinet of the province. The cabinet is made up of about 25 ministers, who manage different departments (economy, education, etc.). Both the Premier and cabinet members resign if they lose the support of a majority of members of the Alberta legislature.

Alberta's legislative branch is the Legislative Assembly, which is made up of 83 members. Alberta is divided into 83 different constituencies. The population of each of these districts elects a member who will act as representative of the district in the Assembly, for terms of up to five years. If the Lieutenant Governor dissolves the Assembly before these five years, at the request of the Prime Minister, everyone needs to stand for election again. There is no limit to the duration of the mandates of the same person.

The highest Court of the Alberta Judiciary is the Court of Appeal of Alberta. It is composed of a Chief Justice and 12 others judges. The Court of Queens's Bench of Alberta is the second largest court in the province, and is made up of 61 different judges. The Provincial Court of Alberta is the third largest court in the province, and is made up of 109 judges. All judges of the Court of Appeal and the Court of Queen's Bench are chosen by the Premier of Alberta and symbolically approved by the Lieutenant Governor. Judges exercise their functions until they are 75 years of age.

Alberta is divided into 64 rural municipalities, 15 major cities, 110 secondary cities, and 157 villages. Cities are governed by a mayor and a seven-member council, elected by the population for terms of up to three years. In the villages, the voters choose three or five members for terms of up to three years. Every year, one of the council members is chosen by the members of each council to be mayor of the village. The government system of the 64 rural municipalities is similar to the government system of the villas.

Taxes are responsible for about 92% of Alberta's government budget. The rest comes from budgets received from the federal government and from loans. Alberta is the only Canadian province that does not have an income tax, thanks to the royalties it receives from the extraction of oil, natural gas and other natural resources.

Politics

The province's politics is characterized by being much more conservative than in the rest of the Canadian provinces. Alberta has traditionally had three political groups: the Progressive Conservatives (Conservatives or Tories), the Centrist Liberals (the Liberal Party dominated the province between 1905 and 1921) and the Social Democrats (NDP). Low wheat prices led the population to elect the United Farmers of Alberta in 1921, who remained in power until 1935. With the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Social Credit Party rose to power in 1935, controlling the provincial government until 1971. Since then, Progressive Conservatives have held the provincial government.

The Progressive Conservative Party (now the Conservative Party of Canada) has politically dominated the province since 1971. Alberta is currently the largest Conservative Party constituency. The 28 seats to which the province is entitled in the Canadian House of Commons are currently held by Conservatives. One of them, Stephen Harper, who was the Prime Minister of Canada, was born in Calgary.

Geography

Jasper and the Rocky Mountains.

Banff National Park.

Alberta's geography is very diverse. It is bordered to the north by the Northwest Territories, to the east by Saskatchewan, to the west by British Columbia, and to the south by the American state of Montana. Alberta is mostly rectangular in shape, with the exception of the southwestern region.

Alberta has several rivers and lakes, especially in the north of the province. The province has several lakes with less than 260 km², and three large lakes. These three lakes are Lake Athabasca, with 7,898 km², Lake Claire, with 1,436 km², and Lower Slave Lake, with 1,168 km². About two-thirds of Lake Athabasca is located in Alberta, the rest is located in Saskatchewan.

Forests cover more than half of Alberta. Most of the forests are located in the west and in the center-north of the province.

Geographic Regions

Alberta can be divided into four distinct geographic regions:

• The Rocky Mountains are located along the southwest of Alberta, and form a natural border between Alberta and British Columbia. The irregular border of southwest Alberta coincides with the Rocky Mountains. The Rocky Mountains stand out for their high altitudes, with several peaks reaching 2000 meters or more. It is in this region where the highest point of the province is located, Mount Columbia, with 3747 meters of altitude. The natural beauties of the mountain range attract millions of tourists throughout the year. Calgary is located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, at more than a thousand meters of altitude.

Map of Alberta. The red regions are urban areas, of which the two largest are Calgary (South) and Edmonton (north).

• The Alberta Plains extend throughout the province, covering approximately 70% of it. Despite its name, it is characterized by its elevated altitude of 600 metres or more. In addition, the relief of the region is uneven. Many areas in the north of this region are covered by forests, while the south is mainly covered with pastures.

• The Saskatchewan Plains occupy a small area near the northeast of Alberta. They are characterized by their relatively low altitude, between 600 and 300 meters. The region is also characterized by its forests, which cover most of the region.

• The Canadian Shield occupies the northeast end of Alberta. It has the lowest altitudes of Alberta, with less than 350 meters of altitude. The lowest point in the province is located here (only 170 meters of altitude). It is characterized by its rocky soil, very old, and by its rough terrain.

Hydrography

Climate

Alberta has a temperate climate, with warm summers and cold winters. The average temperature decreases as the latitude increases. Northern Alberta has significantly shorter, milder summers and longer, more severe winters than southern Alberta. The province is famous for its harsh winters; however, the weather in the region is highly unstable, being the city of Calgary famous for this, where temperature variations of up to 10 °C can occur in a space of a few hours, and sudden rains and snowstorms can occur, to then give space to a sunny day.

During winter, northern Alberta registers lows between -55°C and -10°C, and highs between -40°C and 5°C. The average temperature in the region is -22 °C. The average winter temperature in Edmonton is -16°C, and -9°C in Calgary. The average minimum in Edmonton is -18 °C, and -15 °C in Calgary, while the average maximum is -8 °C in Edmonton and -3 °C in Calgary. Temperatures vary between -55 °C and 18 °C in both cities. The southern tip of Alberta has an average temperature of -5 °C, with minimums and maximums slightly higher than those recorded in Calgary. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Alberta was -61°C, at Fort Vermilion, on January 11, 1911. The average winter temperature in Alberta is -14°C.

During the summer, the highest temperatures are recorded in southeastern Alberta. The southwest, the center-east and some areas of the central region of the province have lower temperatures due to their high altitude. The lowest temperatures are recorded in the southwest. The average summer temperature in the higher altitude regions varies between 10 °C and 12 °C. The average temperature in Calgary and Edmonton is similar in summer (due to Calgary's higher altitude), and is 16°C. Medicine Hat has the highest average annual temperatures, over 20°C in summer. The minimums vary between -10 °C and 18 °C, and the maximums vary between 6 °C and 35 °C throughout the province. The average minimum in Edmonton and Calgary is 7 °C and the maximum is 23 °C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Alberta was 42°C on July 12, 1886. The average summer temperature in Alberta is 14°C.

Average average annual rainfall rates vary greatly from region to region. Most of the province has a relatively dry climate. The north and southeast register the lowest annual precipitation rates in the province, less than 40 centimeters per year. The average annual precipitation increases as the altitude of the region increases. The highest precipitation rates occur in the southwest of the province, where they can reach up to 110 centimeters per year. Average annual snowfall increases as latitude increases, being less than 75 centimeters in the south and more than 180 centimeters in northern Alberta.

Fauna and flora

Wildlife

Alberta's three climatic regions (alpine, forest, and prairie) are home to many different species of animals. The southern and central prairie is the bison's primary habitat, its grasses providing them with excellent grazing and a good breeding ground. The bison population was decimated during the early colonization of the province, but since then the population appears to have regenerated, thriving on farms and parks.

Alberta is also an important habitat for many large carnivores. Among them are the black bear and the grizzly, which can be found in mountainous environments and forested regions. Small carnivores, such as canids and cats, include coyotes, wolves, foxes, bobcats, and Canada lynx.

Rocky mufflon.

Herbivores are very common throughout the province. We can find elk and deer in the forested regions, and pronghorn in the grasslands of southern Alberta. Rocky mouflon and Rocky goats are found in the Rocky Mountains. Rabbits, porcupines, striped skunks, squirrels, and many species of rodents and reptiles inhabit the entire province. Only one variety of venomous snake lives in Alberta, the prairie rattlesnake.

Central and northern Alberta are an ideal nesting ground for many migratory birds. Large numbers of ducks, geese, swans, and pelicans arrive in Alberta each spring and nest in or near one of the hundreds of lagoons that dot northern Alberta. There is a large number of eagles, hawks, owls and ravens, as well as a huge variety of granivorous and insectivorous birds. Alberta, like other temperate regions, abounds in insects such as mosquitoes, flies, wasps, and bees. The rivers and lakes are well stocked with pike, walleye, farra, river trout, rainbow trout, char, or even sturgeon. Turtles can be found in some bodies of water in the southern part of the province. Frogs and salamanders are just a few of the many amphibians that inhabit Alberta.

Flora

Demographics

According to the 2001 Statistics Canada census, Alberta had a population of 2,974,807 people. The 2006 census puts the population of Alberta at 3,290,350, an increase of 10.6%. Alberta has one of the largest populations fastest growing in the country. The province has high birth rates (in 2006, the number of births was set at 42,875) and relatively high immigration rates (between 2001 and 2006, 103,680 immigrants settled in Alberta), and a high rate of inter-provincial migration, compared to the other Canadian provinces. 81% of the population of the province lives in cities and 19% does so in the countryside. The metropolitan areas of Calgary and Edmonton account for 65% of Alberta's population.

At the 2011 census, Alberta had a population of 3,645,257 living in 1 390 275 of its 1,505,007 total dwellings, a 10.8% change in its population from 3,290,350 in 2006. With an area of 640 081.87 km², had a population density of 5.7/km² in 2011. As of 2013, Statistics Canada estimates the province's population at about 4,025,073 inhabitants.

Graphic of demographic evolution of Alberta between 1901 and

Ethnic groups

Map of Alberta.

Ethnically and racially, Alberta's population is predominantly Caucasian. 83.9% of Alberta's population is white, with the majority of English descent, followed by Germans, Scots, Irish, French, Ukrainians and Poles. Some 16% of Alberta's population were born outside of Canada (immigrants 527,030 reside in the province, according to the 2006 census). In addition to that, the province had about 156,220 Native American inhabitants in 2001, of whom 66 060 were Métis. An estimated 3.4% of Alberta's population is of descent from two or more ethnicities.

Religions

Religious affiliation of the population of Alberta:

• Protestants: 38.9%
• Catholics: 26.7 %
• Orthodox: 1.5 %
• Other Christian affiliations: 4.1%
• Muslims: 1.5 %
• Buddhists: 1.1 %
• Other religions: 1.2 %
• Non-religious: 25%

Languages

According to the 2006 census, the majority and official language of Alberta is English. Of the total population, 2,893,240 people regularly speak English, 19,315 French and 297 955 other languages. Also according to the 2006 census, 222,885 people can speak English and French, an increase of more than 15% compared to ten years earlier. This increase is due to different programs to promote French, such as Alberta's New Second Language Initiative.

Calgary, the most populous city in Alberta, has a Cervantes Institute, which has meant that Spanish has a significant presence in the area.

City Centers

Calgary.

Edmonton.

Red Deer.

Once predominantly agrarian, Alberta grew because of oil, and the once rural population began to migrate to the cities. Alberta's share of the total national population is 10%, up from 1.5% at the time the province was formally created.

The largest cities in Alberta are:

Economy

Alberta's gross domestic product is C$125 billion, the fourth largest in Canada, behind only Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. The state's per capita income is approximately Can$42,030 CAD, the highest in the country.

Distribution by sectors

• The primary sector is responsible for 3% of Alberta's GDP. Agriculture and livestock – which were already the main sources of Alberta’s income – are combined with 2.92 % of the province’s GDP, and employ approximately 70 000 people. Alberta has near 55 000 farms, which cover about 35% of the province. Fisheries and forestry correspond together to 0.08% of the GDP of the province, and employ together about 1500 people. Alberta is a national leader in the agricultural field. The province has the largest herds in Canada and one of the largest herds in North America. Alberta has in total about 5 million bovine cattle heads. About half of all Canadian vaccine is produced in Alberta. The province is also the largest producer of beef from Canada. Alberta also has considerable flocks of sheep, which are mainly used for wool production. Alberta is Canada's largest national wheat producer and one of the largest in the world. It's also a big cabbage producer. In addition, Alberta is a national leader in apculture.

Monument in homage to oil.

• Alberta's secondary sector is 36% of GDP. The mining industry, mainly based on oil extraction, tar, coal and natural gas, accounts for 19 per cent of GDP, the largest source of income in the province. Mining employs in total more than 85 000 people. Other mineral resources of Alberta are sulfur and salt. Manufacturing industry accounts for 10% of the GDP of the province, employing about 140 000 people. The products manufactured annually in the province have a total value of more than 14 billion Canadian dollars. The main products manufactured in Alberta are derived from oil, chemicals, processed foods and products derived from metals and wood. The construction corresponds to 7 % of the GDP of the province, employing more than 130 000 people. Alberta is Canada's largest fossil fuel producer; it produces more than 70% of domestic production. Also one of the largest producers in the world. In addition to that, Alberta has the world's biggest bitumen reserves. In fact, it is estimated that these bitumen reserves contain more than 1.6 trillion barrels of oil—more than in the rest of the world. Until the 1980s, the refinement of bitumen for oil collection was a very expensive task. However, several oil companies developed refinement technologies and methods that covered the cost of oil production obtained through these bitumen reserves. In addition, the recent increases in oil barrel prices made oil bitumen refinement a particularly lucrative activity. Alberta is expected to produce more than 10% of North American oil alone in 2010. The state's industrial capital is Edmonton, where most of the oil refineries in the province are based. The total value of natural resources produced in Alberta corresponds to 60% of the value of all natural resources extracted throughout Canada.

• The tertiary sector of Alberta accounts for 61 per cent of the GDP of the province. Calgary hosts the main oil companies in the country (and other multinationals installed in the country), as well as various financial and telecommunications companies. Community and personal services account for 20% of the GDP of the province, and employ about 602 000 people. Financial and real estate services account for 16 % of the GDP of the province, and employ approximately 79 000 people. The wholesale and retail trade corresponds to 9 % of Alberta's GDP, and employs 159 000 people. Transport and telecommunications account for 11 % of Alberta's GDP, employing approximately 630 000 people. Government services employ approximately 62 000 people and respond to 4 % of the GDP of the province. Public utilities account for 3% of Alberta's GDP, and employ about 12.5 thousand people. About 50% of the electricity produced in Alberta is generated in coal thermoelectric plants, and 32% is produced in natural gas thermoelectric plants.

Education

View of the central campus of the University of Alberta.

The first schools in Alberta were founded by missionaries in the mid-19th century century, in Edmonton and Calgary. In 1884, the then Alberta district established a public school system.

Administration

The educational centers of all the cities - or, in the case of isolated areas, of several villages at the same time, which constitute an educational district - are administered by a school district. The Catholic Church also administers some school districts in various cities in the province. Both the public education systems and the Catholic education systems receive monetary aid from the municipality/district. Schooling in Alberta is compulsory for all children and adolescents over 6 years of age, until the completion of the second grade (secondary education) or until 16 years of age.

According to data published by Statistics Canada, during the 2004/2005 school year the province's public primary and secondary schools had about 551,000 span> students, which represents an increase of 1.4% compared to the 1998/1999 academic year, and employing 33,910 educators. Private schools had about 24.7 thousand students in 1999, employing approximately 2,000 teachers. The province's public school system spent 4,972.8 million Canadian dollars in the 2004/2005 academic year, which means that public schools spent 9,346 Canadian dollars per student. A total of 31,800 people graduated in Alberta in 2004/2005, an increase of 12.2% since 1999/2000.

Educational establishments

Alberta is home to two major universities: the University of Alberta, located in Edmonton, and the University of Calgary, located in Calgary. The province also has six other universities and fifteen public faculties. Most Alberta cities operate at least one public library.

Culture and arts

The City Hall from Edmonton.

Summer brings many festivals to the province. Edmonton's Fringe Festival is the second largest in the world after Edinburgh. Alberta offers some of Canada's largest folk festivals and several multicultural festivals. Calgary is home to Carifest, the second largest Caribbean festival in the nation (right behind Toronto's Caribana). These events highlight the cultural diversity of the province and its love of entertainment. Most major cities are home to various theater companies performing in such unlikely venues as Edmonton's Arts Barns or the Francis Winspear Center.

Alberta has a highly ethnically diverse population. The Indian and Chinese 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 the 2006 census noted, Chinese made up 1.3 percent of Alberta's population, while Indians made up 1.1 percent. Both Edmonton and Calgary have important Chinatowns, so much so that Calgary's is the third largest in all of Canada. Aboriginal Albertans make up about three percent of the population.

The major contributors to Alberta's ethnic diversity have been European nations. Forty-four percent of Albertans are of British and Irish descent, and there are also large numbers of Germans, Ukrainians, and Scandinavians.

Both cities strongly support teams in the Canadian Football League and the NHL. Sports such as soccer, rugby union, and lacrosse are played professionally in Alberta.

Cowboy in Calgary's rodeo.

The tourism sector is very important to the Albertan economy. An estimated one million tourists visit Alberta each year just to see the world famous Calgary Stampede and Edmonton's Klondike Days. Edmonton was the gateway to the only fully Canadian route to the Yukon gold fields, and the only route that did not require prospectors to traverse the grueling and dangerous Chilkoot Pass.

Alberta is a major destination for skiing and hiking tourists; Alberta has several world-class ski resorts, the most famous being the one located next to Lake Louise.^{[citation needed]}

Transportation

The Trans-Canadian Highway, near the Rocky Mountains, Alberta.

Alberta has more than 180,000 kilometers of public roads. Of these, about 50,000 kilometers are paved. Calgary is a great communication hub. Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, and Red Deer all have extensive public transportation systems. Calgary and Edmonton also have a light rail system.

Alberta is a major rail junction. The province has nearly 9,000 kilometers of railways. Two prestigious railway companies operate in Alberta, the Canadian National Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway. The latter is based in Calgary. Calgary is the second largest rail junction in Canada, behind only Montreal. VIA Rail connects the province's largest cities with the rest of Canada, and Rocky Mountain Railtours transport tourists along Alberta's top natural tourist attractions.

Calgary and Edmonton have international airports, which serve regular commercial passenger flights from various airlines, connecting both cities with the rest of Canada and other international destinations. Calgary International Airport is the fourth busiest airport in the country, and is the base of operations for WestJet, a Calgary-based airline.

Media

The first newspaper published in Alberta was the Edmonton Bulletin, first published in 1880 in Edmonton, having been published until 1951. Today, about 125 newspapers are published in Alberta. Of them, 9 are daily. Alberta's first radio station opened in 1922, and its first television station opened in 1954, both in Calgary. Calgary is also a major telecommunications hub. In this city is the western base of operations of the CBC, the largest television company in Canada. Alberta currently has 61 radio stations -of which 36 are AM and 25 FM- and 11 television channels.

Friendship Agreements

Alberta has relationships with various provinces, states and cities around the world.

• Jalisco, Mexico, Special Relations
• Hokkaido, Japan, Special Relations
• South Korea, South Korea, Special Relations
• Janti-Mansi, Russia, Special Relations
• Yamalo-Nenets, Russia, Special Relations
• Neuquén, Argentina, Economic MOUs
• Mpumalanga, South Africa, Government Projects
• Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China, Special Relations
• Idaho, United States, Cross-Border Agreements
• Tyumen, Russia, Special Relations
• Montana, United States, Cross-Border Agreements
• Gangwon, South Korea, Special Relations