Alberta - Wikipedia

Provinz Kanada

Ort

Alberta
Motto (s): Latein: Fortis et liber ("Stark und frei")
Konföderation	1. September 1905 (Abspaltung von den Nordwest-Territorien) (8./9. Mit Saskatchewan)
Hauptstadt	Edmonton
Größte Stadt	Calgary
Calgary Region
Regierung
• Typ	Konstitutionelle Monarchie
• Vizegouverneur	Lois Mitchell
• Premier	Notar [1965990]	Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Bundesvertretung	(im kanadischen Parlament)
Haussitze	34 von 338 (10,1%)
Senatsitze	6 von 105 (5,7%)
Fläche
• Insgesamt	661.848 km 2 (255.541 sq mi)
• Land	640.081 km 2 (247.137 Quadratmeilen)
• Wasser	19.531 km 2 (7.541 Quadratmeilen) 3%
Gebietsrang	Platz 6
Platz 6
19659008] 6,6% von Kanada
Bevölkerung (2016)
• Insgesamt	4.067.175 [1]
• 2019 Q4)	4.330.206 [2]
• Rang	Platz 4
• Dichte	6,35 / km 2 (16.4 / sq.) mi)
Demonym (s)	Albertan
Amtssprachen	Englisch [3]
BIP
• Rang	3. Platz
2015)	326,433 Milliarden C $ [4]
• Pro Kopf	78.100 C $ (2.)
Zeitzone	Berg: UTC-7, (DST-6)
Postal Abkürzung	AB
Postleitzahlvorwahl	T
ISO 3166-Code	CA-AB
Blume	Wildrose
Baum	Lodgepole Kiefer
Vogel	Große gehörnte Eule
Website	www .alberta .ca
Ranglisten umfassen alle Provinzen und Territorien

Provinz in Kanada

Alberta ( ( hören " src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Loudspeaker.svg/11px-Loudspeaker.svg.png" decoding="async" width="11" height="11" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Loudspeaker.svg/17px-Loudspeaker.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Loudspeaker.svg/22px-Loudspeaker.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="20" data-file-height="20"/> ) ) ist eine westliche Provinz Kanadas. Mit einer geschätzten Bevölkerung von 4.067.175 nach der Volkszählung von 2016 ^[1] ist es Kanadas viertgrößte Provinz und die bevölkerungsreichste der drei Prärieprovinzen Kanadas. Seine Fläche beträgt etwa 660.000 Quadratkilometer. Alberta und sein Nachbar Saskatchewan waren Bezirke der Nordwest-Territorien, bis sie am 1. September 1905 als Provinzen errichtet wurden. ^[5] Premierminister war seit Mai 2015 Rachel Notley.

Alberta wird im Westen von den Provinzen British Columbia und im Osten von Saskatchewan, im Norden von den Nordwest-Territorien und im Süden vom US-Bundesstaat Montana begrenzt. Alberta ist eine von drei kanadischen Provinzen und Territorien, an die nur ein einziger US-Bundesstaat und eine von nur zwei Binnenstaaten grenzt. Es hat ein überwiegend feuchtes kontinentales Klima mit starken Kontrasten über ein Jahr; Die saisonalen Durchschnittstemperaturen sind jedoch geringer als in weiter östlichen Gebieten, da der Winter durch gelegentliche Winde des Chinooks erwärmt wird, die eine plötzliche Erwärmung verursachen. ^[6]

Die Hauptstadt von Alberta, Edmonton, liegt in der Nähe des geographischen Zentrums Provinz und ist der Hauptversorgungs- und Dienstleistungsstandort für Kanadas Rohöl, die Athabasca-Ölsande und andere Rohstoffindustrie im Norden. ^[7]

Etwa 290 km südlich der Hauptstadt liegt Calgary. die größte Stadt in Alberta. In Calgary und Edmonton liegen die beiden Zensusmetropolregionen von Alberta, in denen beide über eine Million Einwohner haben, ^[8] und in der Provinz 16 Agglomerationen. ^[9]

Zu den touristischen Zielen in der Provinz zählen Banff, Canmore, Drumheller, Jasper, Sylvan Lake und Lake Louise.

Etymology [ edit ]

Alberta wurde nach Prinzessin Louise Caroline Alberta (1848–1939), ^[10] der vierten Tochter von Königin Victoria, benannt. Prinzessin Louise war die Frau von John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, Generalgouverneur von Kanada (1878–83). Zu ihren Ehren wurden auch Lake Louise und der Mount Alberta benannt. ^[11][12]

Geographie [

.

Alberta ist mit einer Fläche von 661,848 km ² (255.500 Quadratkilometer) die viertgrößte Provinz nach Quebec, Ontario und British Columbia. ^[13] [19456534] Im Süden grenzt die Provinz an den 49. Breitengrad Norden und trennt sie vom US-Bundesstaat Montana, während sich im Norden der 60. Parallele Norden von den Nordwest-Territorien trennt. Im Osten trennt ihn der 110. Meridian westlich von der Provinz Saskatchewan, während seine Grenze zu British Columbia im Westen dem 120. Meridian westlich von den Nordwest-Territorien bei 60 ° N folgt, bis er die kontinentale Wasserscheide bei den Rocky Mountains erreicht. und von diesem Punkt folgt die Linie der Gipfel, die die kontinentale Wasserscheide in einer im Allgemeinen südöstlichen Richtung markieren, bis sie die Grenze von Montana bei 49 ° N erreicht. ^[14]

Die Provinz erstreckt sich über eine Länge von 1.223 km (760 mi). von Norden nach Süden und 660 km von Osten nach Westen in seiner maximalen Breite. Sein höchster Punkt liegt auf dem Gipfel des Mount Columbia in den Rocky Mountains an der Südwestgrenze bei 3.747 m, während der tiefste Punkt 152 m am Slave River im Wood Buffalo National Park im Nordosten liegt. ^{] [15]}

Mit Ausnahme der semi-ariden Steppe des südöstlichen Abschnitts verfügt die Provinz über ausreichende Wasserressourcen. Es gibt zahlreiche Flüsse und Seen zum Schwimmen, Angeln und eine Reihe von Wassersportarten. Es gibt drei große Seen, den Lake Claire (1.436 km ² (554 sq mi)) im Nationalpark Wood Buffalo, Lesser Slave Lake (1.168 km ² (451 sq mi)). und der Athabasca-See (7.898 km²), der in Alberta und Saskatchewan liegt. Der längste Fluss der Provinz ist der Athabasca River, der 1.538 km vom Columbia Icefield in den Rocky Mountains zum Lake Athabasca zurücklegt. ^[16]

Der größte Fluss ist der Peace River mit ein durchschnittlicher Durchfluß von 2161 m ³ / s. Der Peace River stammt aus den Rocky Mountains im Norden von British Columbia und fließt durch den Norden von Alberta in den Slave River, einem Nebenfluss des Mackenzie River.

Die Hauptstadt von Alberta, Edmonton, liegt ungefähr im geografischen Zentrum der Provinz. Es ist die nördlichste Stadt in Kanada und dient als Gateway und Drehscheibe für die Ressourcenentwicklung im Norden Kanadas. Die Region mit ihrer Nähe zu den größten Ölfeldern Kanadas besitzt den größten Teil der Kapazität der Ölraffinerie im Westen Kanadas. Calgary liegt etwa 280 km südlich von Edmonton und 240 km nördlich von Montana, umgeben von einem weitläufigen Viehland. Im Calgary-Edmonton-Korridor leben fast 75% der Bevölkerung der Provinz. Die Landbewilligungspolitik für die Eisenbahnen diente als Mittel, um die Provinz in ihren frühen Jahren zu besiedeln. ^[17]

Der größte Teil der nördlichen Hälfte der Provinz besteht aus borealen Wäldern, während die Rocky Mountains entlang des Westens liegen Die südwestliche Grenze ist weitgehend bewaldet (siehe Wälder von Alberta Mountain und Alberta-British Columbia). Das südliche Viertel der Provinz ist Prärie und reicht von Kurzgras-Prärie in der südöstlichen Ecke bis zu einer gemischten Grasprärie in einem Bogen westlich und nördlich davon. Die zentrale Parklandschaft der Espe, die sich in einem weiten Bogen zwischen den Prärien und Wäldern erstreckt, von Calgary, nördlich bis Edmonton und dann östlich bis Lloydminster, enthält den fruchtbarsten Boden der Provinz und den Großteil der Bevölkerung. Ein Großteil des unversehrten Teils von Alberta ist entweder Getreide oder Milchviehhaltung überlassen, wobei Mischkulturen im Norden und im Zentrum häufiger vorkommen, während im Süden Ranching und bewässerte Landwirtschaft vorherrschen. ^[18]

] Die Badlands von Alberta befinden sich im Südosten von Alberta, wo der Red Deer River die flache Prärie und das Ackerland durchquert und tiefe Schluchten und markante Landformen aufweist. Der Dinosaur Provincial Park in der Nähe von Brooks, Alberta, zeigt das Ödlandgelände, die Wüstenflora und Überreste aus Albertas Vergangenheit, als Dinosaurier die damals üppige Landschaft durchstreiften.

Klima [ edit ]

Alberta hat ein feuchtes kontinentales Klima mit warmen Sommern und kalten Wintern. Die Provinz ist für kalte arktische Wettersysteme aus dem Norden offen, die im Winter oft extrem kalte Bedingungen erzeugen. Da sich die Fronten zwischen den Luftmassen über Alberta nach Norden und Süden verschieben, kann sich die Temperatur schnell ändern. Arktische Luftmassen erzeugen im Winter extreme Minimaltemperaturen von -54 ° C (-65 ° F) in Nord-Alberta bis -46 ° C (-51 ° F) in Süd-Alberta, obwohl Temperaturen an diesen Extremen selten sind.

Kontinentale Luftmassen haben im Sommer Rekordhöchsttemperaturen von 32 ° C in den Bergen bis über 40 ° C in Südost-Alberta erreicht. ^[19]

Alberta erstreckt sich über 1.200 km (750 Meilen) von Norden nach Süden; Das Klima ist daher sehr unterschiedlich. Die durchschnittlichen Höchsttemperaturen im Januar reichen von 0 ° C (32 ° F) im Südwesten bis -24 ° C (-11 ° F) im hohen Norden. Das Klima wird auch durch die Präsenz der Rocky Mountains im Südwesten beeinflusst, die die Strömung der vorherrschenden Westwinde stören und dazu führen, dass der größte Teil ihrer Feuchtigkeit an den westlichen Hängen der Gebirgsketten abfließt, bevor sie die Provinz erreicht und einen Regen werfen Schatten über viel von Alberta. Die nördliche Lage und Isolierung von den Wettersystemen des Pazifischen Ozeans führt dazu, dass Alberta ein trockenes Klima mit wenig Mäßigung vom Ozean hat. Die jährlichen Niederschläge reichen von 300 mm im Südosten bis 450 mm im Norden, außer in den Ausläufern der Rocky Mountains, wo der Gesamtniederschlag einschließlich Schneefall jährlich 600 mm erreichen kann. ^{[15] [20]}

Die Provinz ist die Namensgeberin des Alberta-Klippers, einer Art intensiven, sich schnell bewegenden Wintersturms, der sich in der Regel über oder in der Nähe der Provinz formiert und mit großem Einfluss auf sie wirkt Die Geschwindigkeit des kontinentalen Polarstrahls geht über den restlichen Süden Kanadas und den Norden der Vereinigten Staaten hinunter. ^[21]

Satellitenbild von Waldbränden in Alberta

Im Sommer liegen die durchschnittlichen Tagestemperaturen bei etwa 21 ° C (70 ° C) ° F) in den Rocky Mountain-Tälern und weit im Norden bis ca. 28 ° C in der trockenen Prärie des Südostens. In den nördlichen und westlichen Teilen der Provinz fallen höhere Niederschläge und geringere Verdampfungsraten durch kühlere Sommertemperaturen an. Die südlichen und östlichen zentralen Teile sind anfällig für dürrenähnliche Bedingungen, die manchmal mehrere Jahre andauern, obwohl selbst in diesen Gebieten starke Niederschläge auftreten können, die manchmal zu Überschwemmungen führen.

Alberta ist eine sonnige Provinz. Der jährliche Sonnenschein liegt zwischen 1.900 und knapp 2.600 Stunden pro Jahr. Im Norden von Alberta gibt es im Sommer etwa 18 Stunden Tageslicht. ^[19]

Im Südwesten von Alberta werden die kalten Winter häufig durch warme, trockene Chinookwinde unterbrochen, die aus den Bergen wehen und die Temperaturen nach oben treiben können in sehr kurzer Zeit von kalten Bedingungen bis weit über dem Gefrierpunkt. Während eines Chinook, der in Pincher Creek aufgenommen wurde, stiegen die Temperaturen innerhalb einer Stunde von -19 auf 22 ° C. ^[15] Die Region um Lethbridge hat die meisten Chinooks, im Durchschnitt 30 bis 35 Chinook-Tage pro Jahr . Calgary hat eine 56% ige Chance auf ein weißes Weihnachtsfest, während Edmonton eine 86% ige Chance hat. ^[22]

Der Norden Albertas ist größtenteils von borealen Wäldern bedeckt und hat ein subarktisches Klima. Das landwirtschaftliche Gebiet im Süden Albertas hat ein halbtrockenes Steppenklima, da der jährliche Niederschlag geringer ist als das Wasser, das verdampft oder von Pflanzen genutzt wird. Die südöstliche Ecke von Alberta, Teil des Palliser-Dreiecks, erfährt größere Sommerhitze und weniger Niederschlag als der Rest der Provinz. Infolgedessen leiden sie häufig unter Ernteproblemen und gelegentlich starken Dürren. West-Alberta ist von den Bergen geschützt und genießt die milden Temperaturen, die der Winterwindwind verursacht. Central und Teile von Nordwesten von Alberta in der Peace River-Region sind größtenteils Espen Parkland, ein Biom-Übergang zwischen Prärie im Süden und borealen Wald im Norden.

Nach Saskatchewan erlebt Alberta mit durchschnittlich 15 überprüften Tornados pro Jahr die meisten Tornados in Kanada. ^[23] Gewitter, einige von ihnen sind heftig, sind im Sommer häufig, insbesondere im zentralen und südlichen Alberta. Die Region um den Calgary-Edmonton-Korridor zeichnet sich durch die höchste Hagelfrequenz in Kanada aus, die durch orographische Abhebungen aus den nahegelegenen Rocky Mountains verursacht wird, wodurch der für die Hagelbildung notwendige Auf- / Abwindzyklus erhöht wird.

Klimamittelwerte für Gemeinden in Alberta ^[24]

Gemeinschaft	Region	Juli täglich Maximum [24]	Januar täglich Maximum [24]	Jährlicher Niederschlag [24] [1945653]	Plant [1945903] ] härte zone [25]
Medicine Hat	Southern Alberta	28 ° C (82 ° F)	-3 ° C (27 ° F)	323 Millimeter (13 Zoll) [19659128] 4b
Brooks	Southern Alberta	28 ° C (82 ° F)	-4 ° C (25 ° F)	301 Millimeter (12 Zoll)	4a
Lethbridge	Southern Alberta	26 ° C (79 ° F)	0 ° C (32 ° F)	380 Millimeter (15 Zoll)	4b
Fort McMurray	Northern Alberta	24 ° C (75 ° F)	-12 ° C (10 ° F)	419 Millimeter (16 Zoll)	3a
Wetaskiwin	Central Alberta	24 ° C (75 ° F)	–5 ° C (23 ° F)	497 Millimeter (20 Zoll)	3b
Edmonton	Edmonton Metropolitan Region	23 ° C (73 ° F)	-6 ° C (21 ° F)	456 Millimeter (18 Zoll)	4a
Cold Lake	Northern Alberta	23 ° C (73 ° F)	-10 ° C (14 ° F)	421 Millimeter (17 Zoll)	3a
Camrose	Central Alberta	23 ° C (73 ° F)	-6 ° C (21 ° F)	438 Millimeter (17 Zoll)	3b
Fort Saskatchewan	Edmonton Metropolitan Region	23 ° C (73 ° F)	-7 ° C (19 ° F)	455 Millimeter (18 Zoll)	3b
Lloydminster	Central Alberta	23 ° C (73 ° F)	-10 ° C (14 ° F)	409 Millimeter (16 Zoll)	3a
Rotwild	Central Alberta	23 ° C (73 ° F)	-5 ° C (23 ° F)	486 Millimeter (19 Zoll)	4a
Grande Prairie	Northern Alberta	23 ° C (73 ° F)	-8 ° C (18 ° F)	445 Millimeter (18 Zoll)	3b
Leduc	Edmonton Metropolitan Region	23 ° C (73 ° F)	-6 ° C (21 ° F)	446 Millimeter (18 Zoll)	3b
Calgary	Calgary Region	23 ° C (73 ° F)	-1 ° C (30 ° F)	419 Millimeter (16 Zoll)	4a
Chestermere	Calgary Metropolitan Region	23 ° C (73 ° F)	-3 ° C (27 ° F)	412 Millimeter (16 Zoll)	3b
St. Albert	Edmonton Metropolitan Region	22 ° C (72 ° F)	-6 ° C (21 ° F)	466 Millimeter (18 Zoll)	4a
Lacombe	Central Alberta	22 ° C (72 ° F)	–5 ° C (23 ° F)	446 Millimeter (18 Zoll)	3b

Ökologie [ edit ]

Flora [ edit ]

Im zentralen und nördlichen Alberta ist die Ankunft des Frühlings durch die frühe Blüte der Präriekrokusanemone gekennzeichnet; Dieses Mitglied der Familie der Hahnenfußgewächse blühte bereits im März auf, obwohl der April der übliche Monat für die allgemeine Bevölkerung ist. ^[26] Andere frühzeitig blühende Prärieflora sind die Goldbohne und die Wildrose. ^[27] Mitglieder der Sonnenblumengewächse blühen in den Sommermonaten zwischen Juli und September in der Prärie. ^[28] Die südlichen und östlichen zentralen Teile von Alberta sind von kurzem Grasland ^[29] bedeckt, das mit zunehmendem Sommer vertrocknet und durch robuste Stauden, z wie die Prärie Sonnenhut, Floh und Salbei. In den südlichen und zentralen Gebieten der Provinz findet man sowohl gelben als auch weißen Süßklee.

Die Bäume in der Parklandschaft der Provinz wachsen in Büscheln und Gürtel an den Hängen. Diese sind weitgehend laubwechselnd, typischerweise Espen, Pappeln und Weiden. Viele Weidenarten und andere Sträucher wachsen in nahezu jedem Gelände. Auf der Nordseite des North Saskatchewan River herrschen immergrüne Wälder über Tausende von Quadratkilometern. Aspenpappel, Balsampappel (oder in einigen Teilen Baumwollholz) und Papierbirke sind die hauptsächlichen großen Laubarten. Zu den Nadelbäumen gehören Jack Pine, Rocky Mountain Pine, Lodgepole Pine, sowohl weiße als auch schwarze Fichte, und der Laubbaum-Tamarack.

Fauna [ edit ]

In den vier Klimaregionen (Almen, Gebirgswald, Parklandschaft und Prärie) von Alberta gibt es viele verschiedene Tierarten. Die südliche und zentrale Prärie war das Land des Bisons, allgemein als Büffel bekannt, dessen Gräser Weiden und Brutstätte für Millionen von Büffeln bildeten. Die Büffelpopulation wurde während der frühen Besiedlung dezimiert, aber seitdem haben Büffel ein Comeback erlebt und leben auf Farmen und in Parks in ganz Alberta.

In Alberta leben viele große Fleischfresser. Darunter sind die Grizzlybären und Schwarzbären, die in den Bergen und Waldgebieten zu finden sind. Zu den kleineren Fleischfressern der Hunde- und Katzenfamilien zählen Kojoten, Wölfe, Fuchs, Luchs, Rotluchs und Berglöwe (Puma).

Pflanzenfressende Tiere werden in der gesamten Provinz gefunden. Elche, Maultierhirsche, Elche und Weißwedelhirsche sind in den Waldgebieten zu finden, und Kringelhörner können in den Prärien im Süden Albertas gefunden werden. In den Rocky Mountains leben Bighorn-Schafe und Bergziegen. In jeder Ecke der Provinz leben Kaninchen, Stachelschweine, Stinktiere, Eichhörnchen und viele Arten von Nagetieren und Reptilien. In Alberta gibt es nur eine Sorte von Giftschlangen, die Prärieklapperschlange.

Zentrales und nördliches Alberta und die Region weiter nördlich ist der Nistplatz vieler Zugvögel. Jede Menge Enten, Gänse, Schwäne und Pelikane kommen in jedem Frühjahr in Alberta an und nisten auf oder in der Nähe von Hunderten kleiner Seen im Norden von Alberta. Adler, Habichte, Eulen und Krähen sind reichlich vorhanden, und es gibt eine Vielzahl von kleineren Samen und insektenfressenden Vögeln. In Alberta gibt es wie in anderen gemäßigten Regionen Stechmücken, Fliegen, Wespen und Bienen. Flüsse und Seen sind mit Hecht, Zander, Felchen, Regenbogen, gesprenkelt, Bachforelle und Stör bevölkert. Die in der Provinz beheimatete Stierforelle ist der Fisch der Provinz Alberta. Schildkröten sind in einigen Gewässern im südlichen Teil der Provinz zu finden. Frösche und Salamander sind einige der Amphibien, die in Alberta zu Hause sind.

Alberta ist die einzige Provinz in Kanada - und einer der wenigen Orte auf der Welt -, die frei von norwegischen Ratten ist. ^[30] Seit den frühen fünfziger Jahren hat die Regierung von Alberta ein Rattenbekämpfungsprogramm durchgeführt. Dies war so erfolgreich, dass nur vereinzelte Fälle von Wildratten-Sichtungen gemeldet werden, in der Regel von Ratten, die in der Provinz an Bord von Lastwagen oder auf der Schiene ankommen. 2006 berichtete Alberta Agriculture über null Befunde von Wildratten. Die einzigen Interventionen bei Ratten waren domestizierte Ratten, die ihren Besitzern beschlagnahmt wurden. Es ist nicht zulässig, dass einzelne Albertaner norwegische Ratten jeglicher Art besitzen oder behalten; Die Tiere dürfen nur von Zoos, Universitäten und Hochschulen sowie anerkannten Forschungseinrichtungen in der Provinz gehalten werden. Im Jahr 2009 waren mehrere Ratten
gefunden und gefangen, in kleinen Taschen im Süden Albertas, ^[31] was Albertas Status als Ratte in Gefahr bringt. Eine Kolonie von Ratten wurde anschließend in einer Deponie in der Nähe von Medicine Hat im Jahr 2012 und erneut im Jahr 2014 gefunden. ^[32][33]

Paläontologie [ edit

Alberta besitzt eine der größten Diversitäten und Fülle an Dinosaurierfossilien der späten Kreidezeit. ^[34] Taxa wird durch vollständige fossile Skelette, isoliertes Material, Mikrovertebraten-Überreste und sogar Massengräber dargestellt. In der Provinz wurden mindestens 38 Dinosaurier-Exemplare gesammelt. Die Foremost Formation, Oldman Formation und Dinosaur Park Park Formations bilden zusammen die Judith River Group und sind die am gründlichsten untersuchten Dinosaurierschichten in Alberta. ^[34]

Dinosaurierschichten sind in ganz Alberta verbreitet ^[34] Im Gebiet des Dinosaur Provincial Park befinden sich Aufschlüsse der Dinosaur Park-Formation und der Oldman-Formation. In den zentralen und südlichen Regionen von Alberta befinden sich intermittierende Scollard-Formationen. In den Regionen Drumheller Valley und Edmonton gibt es freiliegende Horseshoe Canyon-Fazies. Andere Formationen wurden ebenfalls aufgezeichnet, wie die Milk River und Foremost Formations. Diese beiden letzteren haben jedoch eine geringere Vielfalt an dokumentierten Dinosauriern, hauptsächlich aufgrund ihrer geringeren Gesamtfossilienmenge und der Vernachlässigung durch Sammler, die durch die Isolation und Knappheit von exponierten Aufschlüssen behindert werden. Ihre Dinosaurier-Fossilien sind in erster Linie Zähne, die aus Fossilien von Mikrovertebraten stammen. Zusätzliche geologische Formationen, die nur wenige Fossilien hervorgebracht haben, sind die Belly River Group- und die St. Mary River-Formationen der südwestlichen und nordwestlichen Wapiti-Formation. Die Wapiti-Formation enthält zwei Pachyrhinosaurus Knochenbetten, die jedoch ihren allgemeinen Trend der geringen Produktivität durchbrechen. Die Bearpaw-Formation repräsentiert Schichten, die während einer Meeresübertretung abgelagert wurden. Dinosaurier sind aus dieser Formation bekannt, stellen aber Exemplare dar, die aus dem Meer ausgewaschen oder aus älteren Sedimenten nachbearbeitet wurden. ^[34]

Geschichte [ edit

Blick von Morants Kurve entlang des Bow Valley Parkway und des Bow River im Banff-Nationalpark

Paleo-Indianer kamen vor mindestens 10.000 Jahren in Alberta an, am Ende des letzten Eiszeit. Man nimmt an, dass sie auf einer Landbrücke über die Beringstraße von Sibirien nach Alaska gewandert sind und dann möglicherweise die östliche Seite der Rocky Mountains durch Alberta hinuntergegangen sind, um Amerika zu besiedeln. Andere sind vielleicht an der Küste von British Columbia entlanggewandert und dann ins Landesinnere gezogen. ^[35] Im Laufe der Zeit differenzierten sie sich in verschiedene First Nations-Völker, darunter die Indianerstämme der Plains Indianer im Süden Albertas, wie die der Blackfoot Confederacy und der Plains Cree, die im Allgemeinen lebten lebte von Jagdbüffeln und den nördlicheren Stämmen wie Woodland Cree und Chipewyan, die jagten, in Gefangenschaft standen und um ihren Lebensunterhalt fischten. ^[15]

Nach der Ankunft der Briten in Kanada etwa die Hälfte davon Die Provinz Alberta, südlich der Athabasca River Drainage, wurde Teil des Rupert's Land, das aus Land bestand, das von Flüssen in die Hudson Bay entwässert wurde. Dieses Gebiet wurde 1670 von Charles II. Von England an die Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) vergeben. Rivalisierende Pelzhandelsunternehmen durften darin nicht handeln. Nach der Ankunft der französischen Kanadier im Westen um 1731 ließen sie sich in der Nähe von Pelzhandelsstellen nieder und gründeten Gemeinden wie Lac La Biche und Bonnyville. Fort La Jonquière wurde 1752 in der Nähe des heutigen Calgary gegründet.

Der Athabasca River und die Flüsse nördlich davon befanden sich nicht im HBC-Territorium, da sie anstelle der Hudson Bay in den Arktischen Ozean entwässerten und ein idealer Lebensraum für Pelztiere waren. Der erste Entdecker der Region Athabasca war Peter Pond, der von der Methye Portage erfuhr, die es erlaubte, von den südlichen Flüssen in die Flüsse nördlich von Rupert's Land zu gelangen. Pelzhändler bildeten die North West Company (NWC) von Montreal, um 1779 mit der HBC zu konkurrieren. Die NWC besetzte den nördlichen Teil des Territoriums von Alberta. Peter Pond baute Fort Athabasca am Lac la Biche im Jahr 1778. Roderick Mackenzie baute Fort Chipewyan zehn Jahre später, im Jahre 1788, am Athabasca-See. Sein Cousin Sir Alexander Mackenzie folgte dem North Saskatchewan River zu seinem nördlichsten Punkt in der Nähe von Edmonton wanderte zum Athabasca River, dem er bis zum Athabasca See folgte. Dort entdeckte er den mächtigen Abflussfluss, der seinen Namen trägt - den Mackenzie River -, dem er bis zu seinem Abfluss im arktischen Ozean folgte. Nach seiner Rückkehr zum Athabasca-See folgte er dem Peace River aufwärts und erreichte schließlich den Pazifischen Ozean, so dass er als erster Europäer den nordamerikanischen Kontinent nördlich von Mexiko überquerte. ^[36]

Der äußerste Süden ein Teil von Alberta war Teil des französischen (und spanischen) Territoriums von Louisiana, das 1803 in die Vereinigten Staaten verkauft wurde; 1818 wurde der Teil von Louisiana nördlich des Neunundvierzigsten Breitengrades an Großbritannien abgetreten. ^[37]

Der Pelzhandel expandierte im Norden, aber es kam zu blutigen Schlachten zwischen dem Rivalen HBC und NWC. und die britische Regierung zwang sie 1821 zur Fusion, um die Feindseligkeiten zu beenden. ^[38] Die fusionierte Hudson's Bay Company beherrschte den Handel in Alberta bis 1870, als die neugebildete kanadische Regierung Rupert's Land kaufte. Nord-Alberta war bis 1870 im Nordwest-Territorium, als es und Ruperts Land zu Kanadas Nordwest-Territorien wurden.

Der Bezirk Alberta wurde 1882 als Teil der Nordwest-Territorien gegründet. Mit zunehmender Siedlung wurden lokale Vertreter der Nordwest-Legislativversammlung hinzugefügt. Nach einer langen Kampagne für die Autonomie wurde 1905 der District of Alberta erweitert und erhielt den Status einer Provinz, wobei Alexander Cameron Rutherford als erster Premier gewählt wurde. Weniger als ein Jahrzehnt später stellte der Erste Weltkrieg die neue Provinz vor besondere Herausforderungen, da eine außerordentlich große Zahl von Freiwilligen relativ wenige Arbeiter für die Aufrechterhaltung der Dienstleistungen und der Produktion zur Verfügung stellte. Über 50% der Ärzte von Alberta haben sich freiwillig für den Dienst in Übersee gemeldet. ^[39]

Am 21. Juni 2013 erlebte Alberta während der Überschwemmungen in Alberta 2013 schwere Regenfälle, die in weiten Teilen der südlichen Hälfte des Landes zu katastrophalen Überschwemmungen führten Provinz entlang der Flüsse Bow, Elbow, Highwood und Oldman und ihrer Nebenflüsse. Ein Dutzend Gemeinden im Süden Albertas erklärten am 21. Juni die örtlichen Notstände, da der Wasserstand anstieg und zahlreiche Gemeinden unter Evakuierungsbefehle gestellt wurden. ^[40]

Im Jahr 2016 kam es zu einem Waldbrand Einwohner in Albertas Geschichte, als mehr als 80.000 Menschen zur Evakuierung aufgefordert wurden.

Demographie [ edit ]

Historische Bevölkerung
Jahr	Bevölkerungszahl	±%
1901	73.022	-	4494 ] + 412,6%
1921	588.454	+ 57,2%
1931	731.605	+ 24,3%
1941	696.169	696.169		939.501	+ 18,0%
1956	1,123,116	+ 19,5%
1961	1,331,944	+ 18,6%
19659479] 9,9%
1971	1,627,875	+ 11,3%
1976	1,838,035	+ 12,9%
1981	2,237,727,969,994,994,994,994,994,994,994,994,994,794,994,994,994,994,994,994,994,994,994,794,994,994,994,994,994,994,994,994,994,994,994,994,994,9199,9199,919,9199,9199,9199,9199,9199,9199,919,90 ] 2,365,830	+ 5,7%
1991	2,545,553	+ 7,6%
1996	2,696,826	+ 5,9%
2001,969,797;
2006	3,290,350	+ 10,6%
2011	3,645,257	+ 10,8%
2016	4,06 7,175	+ 11,6%
[41][42][1]

Albertas Bevölkerung ist seit mehr als einem Jahrhundert stetig gewachsen.

Laut der Volkszählung von 2016 hatte Alberta 4.067.175 Einwohner und lebte in 1.527.678 der insgesamt 1.654.129 Wohnungen, ein Zuwachs von 11,6% gegenüber 2011 von 3.645.257. Mit einer Landfläche von 640.330,46 km ² (247.232,97 sq mi) hatte es eine Bevölkerungsdichte von 6,352 6,4 / km ^{2 16,451 ] 16,5 / sq mi) im Jahr 2016. [1] Laut Statistik Kanada wird die Provinz im ersten Quartal 2017 auf 4.280.127 Einwohner gezählt. [2]}

Seit dem Jahr 2000 ist die Bevölkerung von Alberta relativ hoch Wachstumsrate, vor allem wegen der aufstrebenden Wirtschaft. Zwischen 2003 und 2004 hatte die Provinz eine hohe Geburtenrate (vergleichbar mit einigen größeren Provinzen wie British Columbia), eine relativ hohe Einwanderung und eine im Vergleich zu anderen Provinzen hohe Rate der interrelevanten Migration. ^[43] jüngste Bevölkerung der Provinzen mit einem Durchschnittsalter von 36,7 Jahren, verglichen mit dem nationalen Durchschnitt von 41,2 Jahren. Alberta hatte auch im Jahr 2016 den geringsten Anteil an Senioren (12,3%) in den Provinzen und einen der höchsten Bevölkerungsanteile von Kindern (19,2%), was zu Albertas junger und wachsender Bevölkerung beitrug. ^[44]

Ungefähr 81% der Bevölkerung lebt in städtischen Gebieten und nur etwa 19% in ländlichen Gebieten. The Calgary–Edmonton Corridor is the most urbanized area in the province and is one of the most densely populated areas of Canada.^[45] Many of Alberta's cities and towns have experienced very high rates of growth in recent history. Alberta's population rose from 73,022 in 1901^[46] to 3,290,350 according to the 2006 census.^[47]

English is the most common mother tongue of Albertans.^[48]

The 2006 census found that English, with 2,576,670 native speakers, was the most common mother tongue of Albertans, representing 79.99% of the population. The next most common mother tongues were Chinese with 97,275 native speakers (3.02%), followed by German with 84,505 native speakers (2.62%) and French with 61,225 (1.90%).^[49]

Other mother tongues include: Punjabi, with 36,320 native speakers (1.13%); Tagalog, with 29,740 (0.92%); Ukrainian, with 29,455 (0.91%); Spanish, with 29,125 (0.90%); Polish, with 21,990 (0.68%); Arabic, with 20,495 (0.64%); Dutch, with 19,980 (0.62%); and Vietnamese, with 19,350 (0.60%). The most common aboriginal language is Cree 17,215 (0.53%). Other common mother tongues include Italian with 13,095 speakers (0.41%); Urdu with 11,275 (0.35%); and Korean with 10,845 (0.33%); then Hindi 8,985 (0.28%); Persian 7,700 (0.24%); Portuguese 7,205 (0.22%); and Hungarian 6,770 (0.21%).
(Figures shown are for the number of single language responses and the percentage of total single-language responses.)^[49]

Alberta has considerable ethnic diversity. In line with the rest of Canada, many immigrants originated from England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France, but large numbers also came from other parts of Europe, notably Germany, Ukraine and Scandinavia.^[50] According to Statistics Canada, Alberta is home to the second-highest proportion (two percent) of Francophones in western Canada (after Manitoba). Despite this, relatively few Albertans claim French as their mother tongue. Many of Alberta's French-speaking residents live in the central and northwestern regions of the province.

As reported in the 2001 census, the Chinese represented nearly four percent of Alberta's population, and East Indians represented more than two percent. Both Edmonton and Calgary have historic Chinatowns, and Calgary has Canada's third-largest Chinese community. The Chinese presence began with workers employed in the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s. Aboriginal Albertans make up approximately three percent of the population.

In the 2006 Canadian census, the most commonly reported ethnic origins among Albertans were: 885,825 English (27.2%); 679,705 German (20.9%); 667,405 Canadian (20.5%); 661,265 Scottish (20.3%); 539,160 Irish (16.6%); 388,210 French (11.9%); 332,180 Ukrainian (10.2%); 172,910 Dutch (5.3%); 170,935 Polish (5.2%); 169,355 North American Indian (5.2%); 144,585 Norwegian (4.4%); and 137,600 Chinese (4.2%). (Each person could choose as many ethnicities as were applicable.)^[51]

Amongst those of British origins, the Scots have had a particularly strong influence on place-names, with the names of many cities and towns including Calgary, Airdrie, Canmore, and Banff having Scottish origins.

Alberta is the third most diverse province in terms of visible minorities after British Columbia and Ontario with 13.9% of the population consisting of visible minorities.^[52] Over one third of the populations of Calgary and Edmonton belong to a visible minority group.^[53]

Aboriginal Identity Peoples make up 5.8% of the population, about half of whom consist of North American Indians and the other half are Metis. There are also small number of Inuit people in Alberta.^[54] The number of Aboriginal Identity Peoples have been increasing at a rate greater than the population of Alberta.^[54]

As of 2011, Christians comprised approximately 60% of Alberta's population, while 32% of the province had no religious affiliation.

As of the 2011 National Household Survey, the largest religious group was Roman Catholic, representing 24.3% of the population. Alberta had the second-highest percentage of non-religious residents among the provinces (after British Columbia) at 31.6% of the population. Of the remainder, 7.5% of the population identified themselves as belonging to the United Church of Canada, while 3.9% were Anglican. Lutherans made up 3.3% of the population while Baptists comprised 1.9%.^[55]

The remainder belonged to a wide variety of different religious affiliations, none of which constituted more than 2% of the population. Members of LDS Church are mostly concentrated in the extreme south of the province. Alberta has a population of Hutterites, a communal Anabaptist sect similar to the Mennonites, and has a significant population of Seventh-day Adventists. Alberta is home to several Byzantine Rite Churches as part of the legacy of Eastern European immigration, including the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada's Western Diocese which is based in Edmonton.

Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Hindus live in Alberta. Muslims made up 3.2% of the population, Sikhs 1.5%, Buddhists 1.2%, and Hindus 1.0%. Many of these are recent immigrants, but others have roots that go back to the first settlers of the prairies. Canada's oldest mosque, the Al-Rashid Mosque, is located in Edmonton,^[56] whereas Calgary is home to Canada's largest mosque, the Baitun Nur Mosque.^[57] Alberta is also home to a growing Jewish population of about 15,400 people who constituted 0.3% of Alberta's population. Most of Alberta's Jews live in the metropolitan areas of Calgary (8,200) and Edmonton (5,500).^[58]

Municipalities[edit]

---

Distribution of cities in Alberta

Largest metro areas and municipalities by population as of 2011

Census metropolitan areas:	2011 [8]	2006 [59]	2001 [60]	1996 [61]
Calgary CMA	1,214,839	1,079,310	951,395	821,628
Edmonton CMA	1,159,869	1,034,945	937,845	862,597
Urban municipalities (10 largest):	2011 [62]	2006 [63]	2001 [64]	1996 [65]
Calgary	1,096,833	988,193	878,866	768,082
Edmonton	812,201	730,372	666,104	616,306
Red Deer	90,564	82,772	67,707	60,080
Lethbridge	83,517	78,713	68,712	64,938
St. Albert (included in Edmonton CMA)	61,466	57,719	53,081	46,888
Medicine Hat	60,005	56,997	51,249	46,783
Grande Prairie	55,032	47,076	36,983	31,353
Airdrie (included in Calgary CMA)	42,564	28,927	20,382	15,946
Spruce Grove (included in Edmonton CMA)	26,171	19,496	15,983	14,271
Okotoks	24,511	17,145	11,689	8,528
Specialized/rural municipalities (5 largest):	2011 [62]	2006 [63]	2001 [64]	1996 [65]
Strathcona County (included in Edmonton CMA)	92,490	82,511	71,986	64,176
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (includes Fort McMurray)	65,565	51,496	42,581	35,213
Rocky View County (included in Calgary CMA)	36,461	34,171	29,925	23,326
Parkland County (included in Edmonton CMA)	30,568	29,265	27,252	24,769
Municipal District of Foothills No. 31	21,258	19,736	16,764	13,714

Economy[edit]

Alberta's economy was one of the strongest in the world, supported by the burgeoning petroleum industry and to a lesser extent, agriculture and technology. In 2013 Alberta's per capita GDP exceeded that of the United States, Norway, or Switzerland,^[66] and was the highest of any province in Canada at C$84,390. This was 56% higher than the national average of C$53,870 and more than twice that of some of the Atlantic provinces.^[67][68] In 2006 the deviation from the national average was the largest for any province in Canadian history.^[69] According to the 2006 census,^[70] the median annual family income after taxes was $70,986 in Alberta (compared to $60,270 in Canada as a whole). In 2014, Alberta had the second-largest economy in Canada after Ontario, with a GDP exceeding C$376 billion.^[71]

Alberta's debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to reach 11.4% in fiscal year 2019–2020, compared to a surplus-to-GDP ratio of 13.4% in 2009–2010.^[72]

The Calgary-Edmonton Corridor is the most urbanized region in the province and one of the densest in Canada. The region covers a distance of roughly 400 kilometres north to south. In 2001, the population of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor was 2.15 million (72% of Alberta's population).^[73] It is also one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. A 2003 study by TD Bank Financial Group found the corridor to be the only Canadian urban centre to amass a U.S. level of wealth while maintaining a Canadian style quality of life, offering universal health care benefits. The study found that GDP per capita in the corridor was 10% above average U.S. metropolitan areas and 40% above other Canadian cities at that time.

The Fraser Institute states that Alberta also has very high levels of economic freedom and rates Alberta as the freest economy in Canada,^[74] and second-freest economy amongst U.S. states and Canadian provinces.^[75] The government of Alberta has invested its earnings wisely; as of September 30, 2013, official statistics reported nearly 500 holdings.^[76]

In 2014, Merchandise exports totalled US$121.4 billion. Energy revenues totalled $111.7 billion and Energy resource exports totalled $90.8 billion. Farm Cash receipts from agricultural products totalled $12.9 billion. Shipments of forest products totalled $5.4 billion while exports were $2.7 billion. Manufacturing sales totaled $79.4 billion, and Alberta's ICT industries generated over $13 billion in revenue. In total, Alberta's 2014 GDP amassed $364.5 billion in 2007 dollars, or $414.3 billion in 2015 dollars. In 2015, Alberta's GDP grew despite low oil prices; however, it was unstable with growth rates as high 4.4% and as low as 0.2%. Should the GDP remain at an average of 2.2% for the last two quarters of 2015, Alberta's GDP should exceed $430 billion by the end of 2015.^[77][78] However, RBC Economics research predicts Alberta's real GDP growth to only average 0.6% for the last two quarters of 2015. This estimate predicts a real GDP growth of only 1.4% for 2015. A positive is the predicted 10.8% growth in Nominal GDP, and possibly above 11% in 2016.^[79]

Industry[edit]

Alberta is the largest producer of conventional crude oil, synthetic crude, natural gas and gas products in Canada. Alberta is the world's second-largest exporter of natural gas and the fourth-largest producer.^[80] Two of the largest producers of petrochemicals in North America are located in central and north-central Alberta. In both Red Deer and Edmonton, polyethylene and vinyl manufacturers produce products that are shipped all over the world. Edmonton's oil refineries provide the raw materials for a large petrochemical industry to the east of Edmonton.

The Athabasca oil sands surrounding Fort McMurray have estimated unconventional oil reserves approximately equal to the conventional oil reserves of the rest of the world, estimated to be 1.6 trillion barrels (254 km³). Many companies employ both conventional strip mining and non-conventional in situ methods to extract the bitumen from the oil sands. As of late 2006 there were over $100 billion in oil sands projects under construction or in the planning stages in northeastern Alberta.^[81]

Another factor determining the viability of oil extraction from the oil sands is the price of oil. The oil price increases since 2003 have made it profitable to extract this oil, which in the past would give little profit or even a loss. By mid-2014, however, rising costs and stabilizing oil prices were threatening the economic viability of some projects. An example of this was the shelving of the Joslyn north project in the Athabasca region in May 2014.^[82]

With concerted effort and support from the provincial government, several high-tech industries have found their birth in Alberta, notably patents related to interactive liquid-crystal display systems.^[83] With a growing economy, Alberta has several financial institutions dealing with civil and private funds.

Agriculture and forestry[edit]

Distinctive yellow canola fields

Agriculture has a significant position in the province's economy. The province has over three million head of cattle,^[84] and Alberta beef has a healthy worldwide market. Nearly one half of all Canadian beef is produced in Alberta. Alberta is one of the top producers of plains buffalo (bison) for the consumer market. Sheep for wool and mutton are also raised.

Wheat and canola are primary farm crops, with Alberta leading the provinces in spring wheat production; other grains are also prominent. Much of the farming is dryland farming, often with fallow seasons interspersed with cultivation. Continuous cropping (in which there is no fallow season) is gradually becoming a more common mode of production because of increased profits and a reduction of soil erosion. Across the province, the once common grain elevator is slowly being lost as rail lines are decreasing; farmers typically truck the grain to central points.^[85]

Alberta is the leading beekeeping province of Canada, with some beekeepers wintering hives indoors in specially designed barns in southern Alberta, then migrating north during the summer into the Peace River valley where the season is short but the working days are long for honeybees to produce honey from clover and fireweed. Hybrid canola also requires bee pollination, and some beekeepers service this need.^[86]

Forestry plays a vital role in Alberta's economy, providing over 15,000 jobs and contributing billions of dollars annually.^[87] Uses for harvested timber include pulpwood, hardwood, engineered wood and bioproducts such as chemicals and biofuels. Recently,^[when?] the United States has been Canada and Alberta's largest importer of hardwood and pulpwood,^{[88][not in citation given][89][not in citation given]} although continued trades issues with the U.S.^{[89][not in citation given]} have likely been a contributing factor towards Alberta's increased focus on Asian markets.^{[87][not in citation given]}

Tourism[edit]

Alberta has been a tourist destination from the early days of the twentieth century, with attractions including outdoor locales for skiing, hiking and camping, shopping locales such as West Edmonton Mall, Calgary Stampede, outdoor festivals, professional athletic events, international sporting competitions such as the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games, as well as more eclectic attractions. There are also natural attractions like Elk Island National Park, Wood Buffalo National Park, and the Columbia Icefield.

According to Alberta Economic Development, Calgary and Edmonton both host over four million visitors annually. Banff, Jasper and the Rocky Mountains are visited by about three million people per year.^[90] Alberta tourism relies heavily on Southern Ontario tourists, as well as tourists from other parts of Canada, the United States, and many other countries.

Alberta's Rockies include well-known tourist destinations Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. The two mountain parks are connected by the scenic Icefields Parkway. Banff is located 128 km (80 mi) west of Calgary on Highway 1, and Jasper is located 366 km (227 mi) west of Edmonton on Yellowhead Highway. Five of Canada's fourteen UNESCO World heritage sites are located within the province: Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, Wood Buffalo National Park, Dinosaur Provincial Park and Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump.

About 1.2 million people visit the Calgary Stampede,^[91] a celebration of Canada's own Wild West and the cattle ranching industry. About 700,000 people enjoy Edmonton's K-Days (formerly Klondike Days and Capital EX).^[92][93] Edmonton was the gateway to the only all-Canadian route to the Yukon gold fields, and the only route which did not require gold-seekers to travel the exhausting and dangerous Chilkoot Pass.

Another tourist destination that draws more than 650,000 visitors each year is the Drumheller Valley, located northeast of Calgary. Drumheller, "Dinosaur Capital of The World", offers the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Drumheller also had a rich mining history being one of Western Canada's largest coal producers during the war years.

Located in east-central Alberta is Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions, a popular tourist attraction operated out of Stettler, that offers train excursions into the prairie and caters to tens of thousands of visitors every year.

Alberta has numerous ski resorts most notably Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, Marmot Basin, Norquay and Nakiska.

Government and politics[edit]

Jasper Avenue is Edmonton's hub of offices and the financial centres.

The Government of Alberta is organized as a parliamentary democracy with a unicameral legislature. Its unicameral legislature—the Legislative Assembly—consists of eighty-seven members elected first past the post (FPTP) from single-member constituencies.^[94]

Locally municipal governments and school boards are elected and operate separately. Their boundaries do not necessarily coincide.

As Canada's head of state, Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state for the Government of Alberta. Her duties in Alberta are carried out by Lieutenant Governor Lois Mitchell. The Queen and lieutenant governor are figureheads whose actions are highly restricted by custom and constitutional convention. The lieutenant governor handles numerous honorific duties in the name of the Queen. The government is headed by the premier. The premier is normally a member of the Legislative Assembly, and draws all the members of the Cabinet from among the members of the Legislative Assembly. The City of Edmonton is the seat of the provincial government—the capital of Alberta.

The current premier is Rachel Notley, sworn in on May 24, 2015.

The previous premier was Jim Prentice, who became the leader of the then governing Progressive Conservatives on September 6, 2014, following the resignation of Alison Redford and the interim leadership of Dave Hancock. Prentice was sworn in as the 16th Premier of Alberta on September 15, 2014. He called an early election on May 5, 2015 in which the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) won a majority of the seats. Prentice immediately resigned his seat and leadership of the PC party, but remained premier until Notley was sworn in on May 24, 2015.

Alberta's elections have tended to yield much more conservative outcomes than those of other Canadian provinces. Since the 1960s, Alberta has had three main political parties, the Progressive Conservatives ("Conservatives" or "Tories"), the Liberals, and the social democratic New Democrats. The Wildrose Party, a more conservative party formed in early 2008, gained much support in 2012 election and became the official opposition, a role it held until 2017 when it was dissolved and succeeded by the new United Conservative Party created by the merger of Wildrose and Progressive Conservatives. The strongly conservative Social Credit Party was a power in Alberta for many decades, but fell from the political map after the Progressive Conservatives came to power in 1971.

For 44 years the Progressive Conservatives governed Alberta. They lost the 2015 election to the NDP (which formed their own government for the first time in provincial history^[95]), signalling a possible shift to the left in the province, also indicated by the election of progressive mayors in both of Alberta's major cities.^[96] Since becoming a province in 1905, Alberta has seen only four changes of government—only five parties have governed Alberta: the Liberals, from 1905 to 1921; the United Farmers of Alberta, from 1921 to 1935; the Social Credit Party, from 1935 to 1971, the Progressive Conservative Party, from 1971 to 2015, and, since 2015, the currently governing Alberta New Democratic Party.

Taxation[edit]

Government revenue comes mainly from royalties on non-renewable natural resources (30.4%), personal income taxes (22.3%), corporate and other taxes (19.6%), and grants from the federal government primarily for infrastructure projects (9.8%).^[97] Albertans are the lowest-taxed people in Canada, and Alberta is the only province in Canada without a provincial sales tax (but residents are still subject to the federal sales tax, the Goods and Services Tax of 5%). It is also the only Canadian province to have a flat tax for personal income taxes, which is 10% of taxable income.^[98]

The Alberta personal income tax system maintains a progressive character by granting residents personal tax exemptions of $17,787,^[99] in addition to a variety of tax deductions for persons with disabilities, students, and the aged.^[100] Alberta's municipalities and school jurisdictions have their own governments who usually work in co-operation with the provincial government.

Alberta also privatized alcohol distribution. The privatization increased outlets from 304 stores to 1,726; 1,300 jobs to 4,000 jobs; and 3,325 products to 16,495 products.^[101] Tax revenue also increased from $400 million to $700 million.

Albertan municipalities raise a significant portion of their income through levying property taxes.^[102] The value of assessed property in Alberta was approximately $727 billion in 2011.^[103] Most real property is assessed according to its market value.^[102] The exceptions to market value assessment are farmland, railways, machinery & equipment and linear property, all of which is assessed by regulated rates.^[104] Depending on the property type, property owners may appeal a property assessment to their municipal 'Local Assessment Review Board', 'Composite Assessment Review Board,' or the Alberta Municipal Government Board.^[102][105]

Law enforcement[edit]

Policing in the province of Alberta upon its creation was the responsibility of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police. In 1917, due to pressures of World War I, the Alberta Provincial Police was created. This organization policed the province until it was disbanded as a Great Depression era cost cutting measure in 1932. It was at that time the now renamed Royal Canadian Mounted Police resumed policing of the province, specifically RCMP "K" Division. With the advent of the Alberta Sheriffs Branch, the duties of law enforcement in Alberta has been evolving as certain aspects, such as traffic enforcement, mobile surveillance and the close protection of the Premier of Alberta have been transferred to the Sheriffs. In 2006, Alberta formed the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) to combat organized crime and the serious offences that accompany it. ALERT is made up of members of the RCMP, Sheriffs Branch and various major municipal police forces in Alberta.

Military[edit]

Military bases in Alberta include Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Cold Lake, CFB Edmonton, CFB Suffield and CFB Wainwright. Air force units stationed at CFB Cold Lake have access to the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range.^[106] CFB Edmonton is the headquarters for the 3rd Canadian Division.^[107] CFB Suffield hosts British troops and is the largest training facility in Canada.^[108]

Transportation[edit]

Road[edit]

Alberta has over 181,000 km (112,000 mi) of highways and roads, of which nearly 41,000 km (25,000 mi) are paved.^[109] The main north-south corridor is Highway 2, which begins south of Cardston at the Carway border crossing and is part of the CANAMEX Corridor. Highway 4, which effectively extends Interstate 15 into Alberta and is the busiest U.S. gateway to the province, begins at the Coutts border crossing and ends at Lethbridge. Highway 3 joins Lethbridge to Fort Macleod and links Highway 2 to Highway 4. Highway 2 travels north through Fort Macleod, Calgary, Red Deer, and Edmonton.^[110]

North of Edmonton, the highway continues to Athabasca, then northwesterly along the south shore of Lesser Slave Lake into High Prairie, north to Peace River, west to Fairview and finally south to Grande Prairie, where it ends at an interchange with Highway 43.^[110] The section of Highway 2 between Calgary and Edmonton has been named the Queen Elizabeth II Highway to commemorate the visit of the monarch in 2005.^[111] Highway 2 is supplemented by two more highways that run parallel to it: Highway 22, west of Highway 2, known as Cowboy Trailand Highway 21, east of Highway 2. Highway 43 travels northwest into Grande Prairie and the Peace River Country; Highway 63 travels northeast to Fort McMurray, the location of the Athabasca oil sands.^[110]

Alberta has two main east-west corridors. The southern corridor, part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, enters the province near Medicine Hat, runs westward through Calgary, and leaves Alberta through Banff National Park. The northern corridor, also part of the Trans-Canada network and known as the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16), runs west from Lloydminster in eastern Alberta, through Edmonton and Jasper National Park into British Columbia.^[110] One of the most scenic drives is along the Icefields Parkway, which runs for 228 km (142 mi) between Jasper and Lake Louise, with mountain ranges and glaciers on either side of its entire length. A third corridor stretches across southern Alberta; Highway 3 runs between Crowsnest Pass and Medicine Hat through Lethbridge and forms the eastern portion of the Crowsnest Highway.^[110] Another major corridor through central Alberta is Highway 11 (also known as the David Thompson Highway), which runs east from the Saskatchewan River Crossing in Banff National Park through Rocky Mountain House and Red Deer, connecting with Highway 12 20 km (12 mi) west of Stettler. The highway connects many of the smaller towns in central Alberta with Calgary and Edmonton, as it crosses Highway 2 just west of Red Deer.^[110]

Urban stretches of Alberta's major highways and freeways are often called trails. For example, Highway 2, the main north-south highway in the province, is called Deerfoot Trail as it passes through Calgary but becomes Calgary Trail (for southbound traffic) and Gateway Boulevard (for northbound traffic) as it enters Edmonton and then turns into St. Albert Trail as it leaves Edmonton for the City of St. Albert. Calgary, in particular, has a tradition of calling its largest urban expressways trails and naming many of them after prominent First Nations individuals and tribes, such as Crowchild Trail, Deerfoot Trail, and Stoney Trail.^[112]

Public transit[edit]

Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, and Lethbridge have substantial public transit systems. In addition to buses, Calgary and Edmonton operate light rail transit (LRT) systems. Edmonton LRT, which is underground in the downtown core and on the surface outside the CBD, was the first of the modern generation of light rail systems to be built in North America, while the Calgary C-Train has one of the highest number of daily riders of any LRT system in North America.

Air[edit]

Alberta is well-connected by air, with international airports in both Calgary and Edmonton. Calgary International Airport and Edmonton International Airport are the fourth- and fifth-busiest in Canada, respectively. Calgary's airport is a hub for WestJet Airlines and a regional hub for Air Canada. Calgary's airport primarily serves the Canadian prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) for connecting flights to British Columbia, eastern Canada, 15 major U.S. centres, nine European airports, one Asian airport and four destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.^[113] Edmonton's airport acts as a hub for the Canadian north and has connections to all major Canadian airports as well as 10 major U.S. airports, 3 European airports and 6 Mexican and Caribbean airports.^[114]

Rail[edit]

There are more than 9,000 km (5,600 mi) of operating mainline railway in Alberta. The vast majority of this trackage is owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway companies, which operate railway freight across the province. Additional railfreight service in the province is provided by two shortline railways: the Battle River Railway and Forty Mile Rail. Passenger trains include Via Rail's Canadian (Toronto–Vancouver) or Jasper–Prince Rupert trains, which use the CN mainline and pass through Jasper National Park and parallel the Yellowhead Highway during at least part of their routes. The Rocky Mountaineer operates two sections: one from Vancouver to Banff and Calgary over CP tracks, and a section that travels over CN tracks to Jasper.

Health care[edit]

Alberta provides a publicly funded health care system, Alberta Health Services, for all its citizens and residents as set out by the provisions of the Canada Health Act of 1984. Alberta became Canada's second province (after Saskatchewan) to adopt a Tommy Douglas-style program in 1950, a precursor to the modern medicare system.

Alberta's health care budget is currently $22.5 billion during the 2018–2019 fiscal year (approximately 45% of all government spending), making it the best funded health care system per-capita in Canada.^[115] Every hour the province spends more than $2.5 million, (or $60 million per day), to maintain and improve health care in the province.^[116]

Notable health, education, research, and resources facilities in Alberta, all of which are located within Calgary or Edmonton:

The Edmonton Clinic complex, completed in 2012, provides a similar research, education, and care environment as the Mayo Clinic in the United States.^[117][118]

All public health care services funded by the Government of Alberta are delivered operationally by Alberta Health Services. AHS is the province's single health authority established on July 1, 2008, which replaced nine local health authorities. AHS also funds all ground ambulance services in the province, as well as the province-wide STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society) air ambulance service.^[119]

Education[edit]

As with any Canadian province, the Alberta Legislature has (almost) exclusive authority to make laws respecting education. Since 1905 the Legislature has used this capacity to continue the model of locally elected public and separate school boards which originated prior to 1905, as well as to create and regulate universities, colleges, technical institutions and other educational forms and institutions (public charter schools, private schools, home schooling).

Elementary schools[edit]

There are forty-two public school jurisdictions in Alberta, and seventeen operating separate school jurisdictions. Sixteen of the operating separate school jurisdictions have a Catholic electorate, and one (St. Albert) has a Protestant electorate. In addition, one Protestant separate school district, Glen Avon, survives as a ward of the St. Paul Education Region. The City of Lloydminster straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan border, and both the public and separate school systems in that city are counted in the above numbers: both of them operate according to Saskatchewan law.

For many years the provincial government has funded the greater part of the cost of providing K–12 education. Prior to 1994 public and separate school boards in Alberta had the legislative authority to levy a local tax on property as a supplementary support for local education. In 1994 the government of the province eliminated this right for public school boards, but not for separate school boards. Since 1994 there has continued to be a tax on property in support of K–12 education; the difference is that the mill rate is now set by the provincial government, the money is collected by the local municipal authority and remitted to the provincial government. The relevant legislation requires that all the money raised by this property tax must go to the support of K–12 education provided by school boards. The provincial government pools the property tax funds from across the province and distributes them, according to a formula, to public and separate school jurisdictions and Francophone authorities.

Public and separate school boards, charter schools, and private schools all follow the Program of Studies and the curriculum approved by the provincial department of education (Alberta Education). Homeschool tutors may choose to follow the Program of Studies or develop their own Program of Studies. Public and separate schools, charter schools, and approved private schools all employ teachers who are certificated by Alberta Education, they administer Provincial Achievement Tests and Diploma Examinations set by Alberta Education, and they may grant high school graduation certificates endorsed by Alberta Education.

Universities[edit]

The University of Alberta, located in Edmonton and established in 1908, is Alberta's oldest and largest university. The University of Calgary, once affiliated with the University of Alberta, gained its autonomy in 1966 and is now the second-largest university in Alberta. Athabasca University, which focuses on distance learning, and the University of Lethbridge are located in Athabasca and Lethbridge respectively.

In early September 2009, Mount Royal University became Calgary's second public university, and in late September 2009, a similar move made MacEwan University Edmonton's second public university. There are 15 colleges that receive direct public funding, along with two technical institutes, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.^[120] Two of the colleges, Red Deer College and Grande Prairie Regional College, were approved by the Alberta government to become degree granting universities^[121]

There is also many private post-secondary institutions, mostly Christian Universities, bringing the total number of universities to 12. Students may also receive government loans and grants while attending selected private institutions. There has been some controversy in recent years over the rising cost of post-secondary education for students (as opposed to taxpayers). In 2005, Premier Ralph Klein made a promise that he would freeze tuition and look into ways of reducing schooling costs.^[122][123]

Culture[edit]

Summer brings many festivals to the province of Alberta, especially in Edmonton. The Edmonton Fringe Festival is the world's second-largest after the Edinburgh Festival. Both Calgary and Edmonton host a number of annual festivals and events, including folk music festivals. The city's "heritage days" festival sees the participation of over 70 ethnic groups. Edmonton's Churchill Square is home to a large number of the festivals, including the large Taste of Edmonton & The Works Art & Design Festival throughout the summer months.

The City of Calgary is also famous for its Stampede, dubbed "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth". The Stampede is Canada's biggest rodeo festival and features various races and competitions, such as calf roping and bull riding. In line with the western tradition of rodeo are the cultural artisans that reside and create unique Alberta western heritage crafts.

The Banff Centre hosts a range of festivals and other events including the international Mountain Film Festival. These cultural events in Alberta highlight the province's cultural diversity. Most of the major cities have several performing theatre companies who entertain in venues as diverse as Edmonton's Arts Barns and the Francis Winspear Centre for Music. Both Calgary and Edmonton are home to Canadian Football League and National Hockey League teams (the Stampeders/Flames and Eskimos/Oilers respectively). Soccer, rugby union and lacrosse are also played professionally in Alberta.

Separatism[edit]

Albertan separatism has a long history of support. In 1982, Alberta elected separatist Gordon Kesler to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Kesler represented the Western Canada Concept, a party founded in response to the National Energy Program created by Pierre Trudeau. In a September 2018 Ipsos poll, 25% of Albertans believed they would be better off separating from Canada.^[124]

Geopolitics expert Peter Zeihan devoted a chapter in his book Accidental Superpower to argue why Alberta would be better off as a U.S. state.^[125][126]

Friendship partners[edit]

Alberta has relationships with several provinces, states, and other entities worldwide.^[127]

• Gangwon-do, South Korea (1974)^[128]


• [129]


• See also[edit]
  
  

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  External links[edit]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Coordinates: 55°N 115°W / 55°N 115°W / 55; -115