Alberta | |||
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Motto: Latin: Fortis et liber ("Strong and free") |
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Confederation | September 1, 1905 (split from Northwest Territories) (11th) | ||
Capital | Edmonton | ||
Largest city | Calgary | ||
Largest metro | Calgary Region | ||
Government | |||
• Type | Constitutional monarchy | ||
• Lieutenant Governor | Lois Mitchell | ||
• Premier | Rachel Notley (NDP) | ||
Legislature | Legislative Assembly of Alberta | ||
Federal representation | (in Canadian Parliament) | ||
House seats | 34 of 338 (10.1%) | ||
Senate seats | 6 of 105 (5.7%) | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 661,848 km2 (255,541 sq mi) | ||
• Land | 640,081 km2 (247,137 sq mi) | ||
• Water | 19,531 km2 (7,541 sq mi) 3% | ||
Area rank | Ranked 6th | ||
6.6% of Canada | |||
Population (2011) | |||
• Total | 3,645,257 | ||
• Estimate (2016 Q1) | 4,231,959 | ||
• Rank | Ranked 4th | ||
• Density | 5.7/km2 (15/sq mi) | ||
Demonym(s) | Albertan | ||
Official languages | English | ||
GDP | |||
• Rank | 3rd | ||
• Total (2011) | C$295.276 billion | ||
• Per capita | C$78,154 (2nd) | ||
Time zone | Mountain: UTC-7, (DST−6) | ||
Postal abbr. | AB | ||
Postal code prefix | T | ||
ISO 3166 code | CA-AB | ||
Flower | Wild rose | ||
Tree | Lodgepole pine | ||
Bird | Great horned owl | ||
Website | www |
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Rankings include all provinces and territories |
Alberta (/ælˈbɜːrtə/) is a western province of Canada. With an estimated population of 4,196,457 as of July 1, 2015, it is Canada's fourth-most populous province and the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces. Its area is about 660,000 square kilometres (250,000 sq mi). Alberta and its neighbour Saskatchewan were districts of the Northwest Territories until they were established as provinces on September 1, 1905. The premier has been Rachel Notley since May 2015.
Alberta is bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south. Alberta is one of three Canadian provinces and territories to border only a single U.S. state and one of only two landlocked provinces. It has a predominantly humid continental climate, with stark contrasts over a year but seasonal temperature average swings are smaller than to areas further east, due to winters being warmed by occasional chinook winds bringing sudden warming.
Alberta's capital, Edmonton, is near the geographic centre of the province and is the primary supply and service hub for Canada's crude oil, oil sands (Athabasca oil sands) and other northern resource industries.