Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is the only province with entirely man-made boundaries. It was created from the Northwest Territories in 1905, at the same time as Alberta, and shares with that province the distinction of having no coast on salt water. The name, which was first used officially for a district of the Northwest Territories in 1882, is derived from an anglicized version of a Cree word denoting a swiftly flowing river, which appears in a variety of spellings in early records.  

Saskatchewan
Flag
Capital	Regina
Largest City	Saskatoon
Official Languages	English
Area	651,900 km2 (Ranked 7th)
Population (2009)	1,041,729 (est.) (Ranked 6th)
GDP per capita	C$45,718 (Ranked 5th)
Abbreviation	SK
Web Site	www.gov.sk.ca

When the prairie region was being made into provinces, the largest part of the old district bearing the name was incorporated into the new province. Saskatchewan, unlike the three provinces immediately east of it, is still the same size as it was when created: in round numbers, 1225 kilometres long, 630 kilometres wide across the south, and 445 kilometres across the north. Its area is 651 900 sq km, of which 12% is fresh water. 

The northern third of Saskatchewan is characterized by rolling hills and numerous bodies of water. Plains cover the remaining two-thirds of the province. The flat, gentle grasslands around this church are typical of the plains area. Called Canada's Breadbasket, Saskatchewan contains one of the major wheat-producing areas in the world. By the early 1990s, mining had also become an important sector of the economy as a result of exploitation of the province's large reserves of petroleum, natural gas, and uranium.

• Immigration to Saskatchewan
• Jobs in Saskatchewan
• Saskatchewan Universities and Colleges

Saskatchewan Facts

• Located in the central prairie region of Canada
• Alberta is west, Manitoba is east 
• U.S. to the south and Northwest Territories to the north 
• Regina, the capital city, is often called "The Queen City".
• Regina is the home of the RCMP Training Academy.
• Flower - Western Red Lily, tree - White Birch, bird - Sharp-tailed Grouse
• Motto: "From many peoples strength"
• "Saskatchewan" comes from a Cree word "Kisiskatchewani Sipi" meaning "swift flowing river", which referred to the Saskatchewan River.
  

The People

• First people : Chipewyan (north) , Assiniboine (east), Blackfoot (west) and Cree 
• Métis (of mixed European and Aboriginal descent) were among the first settlers.
• majority of Saskatchewanians are of British origin, followed by Germans and Austrians, native people, Ukrainians, Scandinavians, and French 
• population just over a million (2009)
• largest cities - Regina and Saskatoon
• population of (2006 census metropolitan area): Regina (194,971), Saskatoon (234,000)

History

• The earliest explorer was Henry Kelsey (1690). 
• Samuel Hearne built trading posts for the Hudson's Bay Company.
• English and French trappers and fur traders arrived. 
• Forts were built to maintain law and order.
• In 1874 North West Mounted Police arrived to establish law and order.
• Settlers were encouraged to come for free land for homesteads.
• The railroad was built across the southern part of the province in 1882-83.
• Settlers came from eastern Canada, British Isles, the US, and continental Europe.
• Immigrants arrived in large groups and settled in different regions.
• Settlers included Barr colonists from England, Doukhobors from Russia, Hutterites, Mennonites, Hungarians, Ukrainians, French, Germans and Scandinavians.
• Saskatchewan became a province in 1905 with Regina as the capital.

Land and Water

• One half is forest, one third is farmland
• Over 100,000 lakes, rivers, streams
• Northern Saskatchewan : forests, marshes, lakes, rivers
• Southern region is mainly flat prairie with some rolling hills and valleys
• Sand dunes 30 m. high at Athabasca Provincial Park in northwest Saskatchewan
• "Great Sand Hills" region in southwest Saskatchewan
• Main rivers: Assiniboine, North and South Saskatchewan and Churchill
  

Climate

• Long, cold winters and hot, dry summers
• Polar air masses bring winter storms with nasty wind chills and blowing snow
• Windy both winter and summer

Resources/Industries

• Grow over 54 percent of Canada's wheat crop 
• Crops include canola, rye, oats, barley, flaxseeds, wheat, lentils
• Raising hogs, cattle and poultry on farms
• Forestry in northern Saskatchewan
• Rich in minerals (potash, uranium, coal, oil and natural gas)
• World leader in the production of uranium
• Leading exporter of potash ( fertilizer )
• Canada's second largest producer of oil (after Alberta)
• Third largest producer of natural gas in Canada 

People and Places

• W.O. MITCHELL (born in Weyburn) wrote about prairie life in his book "Who Has Seen the Wind".
• JEANNE SAUVE (born in Prud'homme) was the first woman to become Governor General of Canada.
• GORDIE HOWE, one of the greatest hockey player of the NHL was born in Floral, Sask.
• ALLAN SAPP, a world-renowned Plains-Cree artist was born on the Red Pheasant Reserve.
• BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE, a well-known singer/songwriter, was born on the Piapot Reserve in the Qu'Appelle Valley
• Tunnels of Moose Jaw : underground passageways used by the Chinese, gangsters and bootleggers.
• Big Muddy Badlands : unusual land formations and petroglyphs
• Wanuskewin Heritage Park: archaeological digs provide information about the Indians of the Northern Plains
• RCMP Heritage Centre and Training Academy in Regina
• Grasslands National Park: original shortgrass prairie, herds of pronghorn, rattlesnakes, endangered black-tailed prairie dogs, burrowing owls and peregrine falcon 
• Prince Albert National Park: only protected white pelican nesting colony in Canada, cabin of Grey Owl, herd of plains bison