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The flag of Canada, Alberta: The flag of Alberta, Canada was adopted on 1 June 1968.
The flag has the proportions 1:2, with the provincial shield of arms in the centre. The shield's height is 7/11 that of the flag's height.
The provincial colours, adopted in 1984, are blue and gold (deep yellow); they are also referred to as ‘Alberta blue’ and ‘Alberta gold,’ appearing on the flag/shield in the sky/background and wheat background, respectively.
Alberta is one of Canada's provinces. It became a province on September 1, 1905.
Alberta is located in western Canada. It is bounded by the provinces of British Columbia on the west and Saskatchewan on the east, Northwest Territories on the north, and by the U.S. State of Montana on the south. Alberta is one of two provinces (the other being New Brunswick) to border a single U.S. state.
The capital city of Alberta is Edmonton, located just south of the centre of the province. Calgary is a major distribution and transportation hub as well as being one of Canada's major commerce centres. Edmonton is the primary supply and service hub for Canada's oilsands and other northern resource industries. According to recent population estimates, these two metropolitan areas have now both exceeded 1 million people, Calgary being slightly more populous than Edmonton. Other major but much smaller municipalities include Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Camrose, Lloydminster, Wetaskiwin, Banff, and Jasper. See also: List of communities in Alberta.
The Premier of the province is Hon. Ralph Klein, Progressive Conservative. See also List of Alberta Premiers.
Alberta is named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1848-1939), the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. Princess Louise was the wife of the Marquess of Lorne, Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. Lake Louise, the village of Caroline, and Mount Alberta were also named in honour of Princess Louise.
Alberta is in western Canada, and covers an area of 661,190 km² (255,287 mi²). To the south, it borders the US state of Montana at a latitude of 49°N, or the 49th Parallel. To the east at a longitude of 110°W, it borders the province of Saskatchewan. At 60°N, it is bordered by the Northwest Territories. To the west, its border with British Columbia follows the line of peaks of the Rocky Mountains range along the Continental Divide, which runs northwesterly until it reaches 120° W, at which point the border follows this meridian to 60°N.
With the exception of the southeastern section, the province is well watered. Alberta contains dozens of rivers and lakes ideal for swimming, water skiing, fishing and a full range of other water sports. There are three large lakes and a multitude of smaller lakes less than 260 km² each. Part of Lake Athabasca (7898 km²) lies in the province of Saskatchewan. Lake Claire (1436 km²) lies just west of Lake Athabasca in Wood Buffalo National Park. Lesser Slave Lake (1168 km²) is northwest of Edmonton.
Because Alberta extends for 1200 km from north to south, and about 600 km wide at its greatest east-west extent, it is natural that the climate should vary considerably between the 49th and 60th parallels. It is also further influenced by its elevation since the province is a high plateau. The elevation ranges from about 1000 metres in the south (Calgary is about 1000-1200 metres and Red Deer is about 850 metres) to 650 metres in the north. The presence of a wall of mountains on the west and open prairies on the east also influences the weather.
Northern Alberta is mostly covered by boreal forest and has fewer frost-free days than southern Alberta, which has a semi-arid climate. The southeastern corner of Alberta experiences greater summer heat and lower rainfall than the rest of the province. Western Alberta is protected by the mountains, and enjoys the mild temperatures brought by winter chinook winds, while southeastern Alberta is a generally flat, dry prairie with some hills, where temperatures are most extreme. They can range from very cold (-35°C (-31°F) or lower in the winter) to very hot (38°C (100°F) or higher in the summer). Central and parts of northwestern Alberta in the Peace River region are largely aspen parkland, a biome transitional between prairie to the south and boreal forest to the north. After southern Ontario, Central Alberta is the most likely region in Canada to experience tornadoes. Thunderstorms, some of them severe, are frequent in the summer, especially in central and southern Alberta. The region surrounding the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor is notable for having the highest frequency of hail in Canada, due to the role of orographic lifting from the nearby Rocky Mountains which enhances the updraft/downdraft cycle necessary for the formation of hail.
Overall, Alberta has cold winters, with a temperature average of about -10°C (14°F) in the south to -24°C (-12°F) in the north. In the south along the foothills of the Rockies, the winter cold is sometimes interuppted by Chinook winds which can propel temperatures upward in a short time frame close to or infrequently above 20°C (68°F), these conditions most commonly occur in February or March. In the summer, the average daytime temperatures range from around 21°C (70°F) in the Rocky Mountains (valleys) and far north to near 30°C (86°F) in the dry prairie of the southeast. The northern and western parts of the province experience higher rainfall and lower evaporation rates caused by cooler summer temperatures. Alberta experiences a good amount of sunshine for its northern location owing to its fairly dry climate; the east-central part of the province is one of the sunniest places in Canada with an average of over 2,500 hours a year.
Alberta's capital city, Edmonton, is located almost in the geographic centre of the province, and most of Alberta's oil is refined here. Southern Alberta, where Calgary is located, is known for its ranching. Much of the unforested part of Alberta is given over either to grain or to dairy farming, with ranching predominant in the south.
In southeastern Alberta, where the Red Deer River traverses the flat prairie and farmland, are the Albertan badlands with deep gorges and striking landforms. Dinosaur Provincial Park, near Drumheller, Alberta, showcases the badlands terrain, desert flora, and remnants from Alberta's past when dinosaurs roamed the then lush landscape.
Alberta is one of only two Canadian provinces to have no maritime coast (the other being the neighbouring province of Saskatchewan.)
Demographics: Alberta has enjoyed a relatively high rate of growth in recent years, due in large part to its burgeoning economy. Between 2003 and 2004, the province saw high birthrates (on par with some larger provinces such as British Columbia), relatively high immigration, and a high rate of interprovincial migration when compared to other provinces. As of late 2005, the population of the province was 3,306,359 (Albertans). 81% of this population lives in urban areas and 19% is rural. The Calgary-Edmonton Corridor is the most urbanized area in the province and one of the densest in Canada. Many of Alberta's cities and towns have also experienced very high rates of growth in recent history.
The present province of Alberta, as far north as about 53° north latitude, was a part of Rupert's Land from the time of the incorporation of the Hudson's Bay Company (1670). After the arrival in the North-West of the French around 1731 they settled the prairies of the west, establishing communities such as Lac La Biche and Bonnyville. Fort La Jonquière was established near what is now Calgary in (1752). The North-West Company of Montreal occupied the northern part of Alberta territory before the Hudson's Bay Company arrived from Hudson Bay to take possession of it. The first explorer of the Athabasca region was Peter Pond, who, on behalf of the North-West Company of Montreal, built Fort Athabasca on Lac La Biche in 1778. Roderick Mackenzie built Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca ten years later in 1788. His cousin, Sir Alexander Mackenzie followed the North Saskatchewan River to its northernmost point near Edmonton, then setting northward on foot, trekked to the Athabasca River, which he followed to Lake Athabasca. It was there he discovered the mighty outflow river which bears his name -- the Mackenzie River -- which he followed to its outlet in the Arctic Ocean. Returning to Lake Athabasca, he followed the Peace River upstream, eventually reaching the Pacific Ocean, and so being the first white man to cross the North American continent north of Mexico.
The district of Alberta was created as part of the North-West Territories in 1882. As settlement increased, local representatives to the North-West Legislative Assembly were added. After a long campaign for autonomy, in 1905 the district of Alberta was enlarged and given provincial status.
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