about alberta

About AlbertaPremier of Alberta - The Honourable Ed Stelmach, Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta
Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation - The Honourable Cindy Ady
Capital of Alberta - Edmonton Population of Alberta - 3 375 800 (Statistics Canada 2006). Over 10% of Canada’s population resides in Alberta.
Area of Alberta - 661 185 sq km (255 303 sq mi); Alberta is the fourth largest province in Canada. Coordinates - between 49 and 60 degrees north latitude and between 110 and 120 degrees west longitude. Width & Length - north to south - 1223 km (764 mi); east to west - 660 km (412 mi). Alberta receives 2 330 hours of sunshine annually, the highest in Canada.
Highest mountain in Alberta - Mt. Columbia 3 747 m (12 294 ft); and the second highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Lowest point in Alberta - where the Salt River enters the Northwest Territories in northeast Alberta 183 m (600 ft). Alberta has two international airports: one in Edmonton and one in Calgary. Alberta has more than 280 golf courses; seven of Canada’s signature courses are located here.Alberta has five of Canada’s 14 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as designated by the United Nations. There are at least 66 regional ski hills in the province as well as 6 major Canadian Rockies ski resorts.
Location The province of Alberta is located in western Canada between the provinces of British Columbia (B.C.) to the west and Saskatchewan to the east. At our northern border is the Northwest Territories. The state of Montana marks our southern border.

Considered one of Canada’s three “Prairie Provinces”—along with Manitoba and Saskatchewan—Alberta differs in that it shares the Canadian Rockies with British Columbia. Our natural border is the imaginary line of the Continental Divide that separates Alberta from B.C.
Geography
Alberta is the fourth largest province in Canada. It is similar in size to Texas, three times the size of Great Britain or equal to the combined areas of France, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands. Land accounts for 97% of the area with the remainder made up of numerous lakes, rivers and streams.
The province has a diversity of natural terrain—parklands, grasslands, primordial badlands, vast tracts of wildlands, boreal forests and plains, ancient glaciers, thousands of lakes and rivers, and the oldest mountain ranges of the “backbone” that runs the length of North and South America.
Its variety of natural areas and ecosystems supports hundreds of species of wildlife, many of which are endangered or protected. Coupled with the intriguing history of Aboriginal cultures and prehistoric dinosaur remains, it is easy to see why the United Nations crowned Alberta with five of Canada’s 13 designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Climate

The province is characterized by low humidity and considerable contrasts between areas and seasons. Average temperatures range from 15C to 23C (60F to 73F) in July and -8C to -25C (18F to -13F) in January. Alberta receives more days of sunshine than any other province in Canada.
Population
Alberta is currently the fastest growing province in Canada. A population of more than three million people lives primarily in our international gateway cities of Calgary and Edmonton. Smaller urban centres include Fort McMurray, Red Deer, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. Our large rural population reflects our prominent agricultural industry.
Resources/Industry
Alberta's major industries are energy, business and commercial services, transportation and utilities, finance and real estate, retail and wholesale trade, and manufacturing. Over the past decade, the economy has experienced rapid growth in such industries as petrochemicals, forest products, food processing, machinery, electronics and telecommunications, tourism, and business services. Tourism generates over $4 billion in revenues each year.

Emblems, etc.
New Official Grass Emblem for Alberta
Alberta is celebrating the addition of a new provincial emblem - Rough Fescue grass.
The addition of this new emblem was coordinated by the Prairie Conservation Forum. The Forum consulted a range of Alberta scientists and resource managers to identify five candidate grasses for Albertans to vote on through a mail-in or online ballot. Rough fescue (Festuca scabrella) was the winner selected by Albertans, with the other choices being: blue grama grass, green needle grass, june grass, and western wheat grass.

Provincial Flower -
Wild Rose, rosa acicularis. The wild rose was chosen in the Floral Emblem Act of 1930.



Provincial Flag - Under the Flag Act (passed at the 1968 Session of the Alberta Legislature) a blue flag, with the Coat of Arms of the Province in the centre, was appointed and declared as the Flag of Alberta. This Act was proclaimed by Order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council on June 1, 1968.
Provincial Coat of Arms - On May 30, 1907, a Royal Warrant assigned the Coat of Arms of the Province of Alberta. Topped by a red St. George's Cross on a white background, the Coat of Arms features blue in back of a range of snow covered mountains with green hills, a prairie and a field of wheat in front. On July 30, 1980, the arms had a Crest, Motto and Supporters added by Royal Warrant. The Crest has a Royal Crown on top of a beaver sitting on a helmet with a silver and red wreath.
Motto: FORTIS ET LIBER (Strong and Free) to be borne and used together with Arms of the Province upon seals, shields, banners, flags, or otherwise according to the Laws of Arms.
Supporters: Gold lion (symbol of power) and pronghorn antelope (symbol of natural riches). The compartment (base of the Coat of Arms) is a grassy mount with wild roses.
Alberta Tartan - The colours of the Alberta Tartan represent the green of its forests, the gold of its wheat fields, the blue of its clean skies and sparkling lakes, the pink of its wild rose, and the black of its coal and petroleum.
Provincial Bird - Great Horned Owl, bubo virginianus
Provincial Mammal - Rocky Mountain Big Horned Sheep
Provincial Fish - Bull Trout, salvelinus confluentus
Provincial Tree - Lodgepole Pine, pinus contorta variety latifolia
Provincial Stone - Petrified Wood
Provincial Colours - Blue and Gold (deep yellow)
Bragging Rights

* Canada's largest mountainous national park - Jasper National Park

* Canada's first/oldest national park - Banff National Park

* World's largest shopping and entertainment complex - West Edmonton Mall


* World's first international "Peace Park" - Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park

* World's second largest and Canada's largest national park - Wood Buffalo National Park

* Largest ski area in Canada - Lake Louise

* World's largest Ukrainian Easter Egg (Pysanka) - Vegreville

* Second largest glacier fed lake in the world - Maligne Lake (Jasper National Park)

* One of the world's most photographed lakes - Moraine Lake (Banff National Park)

* North America's largest outdoor music festival - Big Valley Jamboree (Camrose)

* World's largest Tyrannosaurus Rex - Drumheller

* One of the most scenic highways in the world - Icefields Parkway

* Canada's largest public display of live reptiles - Reptile World (Drumheller)

* World's largest herd of free roaming bison - Wood Buffalo National Park

* North America's largest, oldest and best preserved buffalo jump site - Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

* World's largest oil sands development - Suncor/Syncrude Oil Sand Plant (Fort McMurray)

* Only city in Canada found within two provinces - Lloydminster, "Canada's Border City"

* Largest museum in Western Canada - Glenbow Museum (Calgary)

* Bird capital of Canada - McLennan

* North America's largest theatre festival - Fringe Festival (Edmonton)

* Second largest zoo in Canada - Calgary Zoo (Calgary)

* One of the richest dinosaur fossil discoveries in the world - Dinosaur Provincial Park

* Home of Iceland's greatest poet - Stephansson House (Markerville)

* World's largest cable suspended roof "reverse hyperbolic paraboloid" - Pengrowth Saddledome (Calgary)

* North America's first covered speed skating oval - Olympic Oval (Calgary)

* The richest show jumping contest in the world - The Masters at Spruce Meadows (Calgary)

* One of North America's largest collections of antique and classic cars, trucks and planes - Reynolds-Alberta Museum (Wetaskiwin)

* Greatest outdoor show on earth - the Calgary Stampede (Calgary)

* World's first Indoor bungy jump - West Edmonton Mall (Edmonton)

* World's tallest teepee - Medicine Hat

* North America's largest collection of horse drawn vehicles - Remington Carriage Museum

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