Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is known as Sunny Alberta because it has more hours of sunshine a year than any other province. Alberta's population is 3,064,200 and its capital is Edmonton. Alberta is Canada's largest producer of petroleum and natural gas. Alberta is the proud producer of Alberta beef, considered the best beef in Canada.
The area that is now Alberta was first explored by French fur traders about 1750. Settlement began with the establishment of trading posts in the1780's. From 1871, the region was controlled by the Hudson Bay Company On September 1, 1905, Alberta became a province.
Mixed grasses and a variety of flowering plants are found in the Southeast part of the province . Mixed and coniferous forests are in the West, while the North consists of mainly spruce, pine, and fur trees. The provincial flower, the wild rose, is found in most areas.
The United Church of Canada and the Roman Catholic Church are the largest religious groups in Alberta. Other churches such as Anglican, Methodist, and Congregationalist also exist.
The first schools in Alberta were established by missionaries in the mid-19th century. By the early 1980's, Alberta had more than 1400 public schools, and more than 21 institutes of higher education. The University of Alberta, in Edmonton, is the oldest and largest university in the province.
Tourists can explore fur trade posts, historic forts, and pioneer museums while visiting Alberta. They can discover everything from dinosaurs to zoos, dancing, hockey, basketball, gymnastics, karate, floral conservations to windmills. A tourist could spend days in the West Edmonton Mall, shopping at the many stores, swimming in the pools, riding on the roller coasters, and sleeping in one of the theme rooms. In Alberta you can spend the day kayaking on the river rapids, playing golf, or horseback riding in the hills. You could go hiking, skiing, and snow-mobiling in the Alberta Rockies. If you would like to live away from the ocean, and next to the Rockies, Alberta is the place for you.
Sources Used:
World Book Encyclopedia CD-ROM (2002).