Alberta is about the same size as Texas, three times the size of Great Britain, and equal to the combined areas of France, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands.
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.
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.
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.