Alberta is a province in the western part of Canada. Alberta
borders British Columbia to the west, the Northwest Territories
to the north, Saskatchewan to the east and the US state of
Montana to the south.
The Rocky Mountains rise in the
west of the province, the eastern part is prairie land.
Settlement is concentrated almost exclusively in the southern
third of the province around the metropolises of Edmonton and
Calgary, while the northern half is almost uninhabited. Oil and
natural gas production have made Alberta the richest and, in
parts, rapidly growing province. They have replaced agriculture
and, in particular, cattle breeding as the most important
industries; the latter, however, still play a role.
1 Edmonton (City of Edmonton). E-mail: 311@edmonton.ca . - capital
and second largest city in the province.
2 Calgary
(City of Calgary) . largest city in the province, host of the 1988
Winter Olympics.
3 Jasper located in Jasper National Park.
4 Banff
on the eastern slope of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
5 Lloydminster
. located on the border of the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
6 Red Deer . third largest city, located on the river of the same name
in the parklands.
7 Fort Saskatchewan . once a fur trading center.
8 Drumheller . located in the Badlands on the Red Deer River, fossil
site.
9 Athabasca
The main travel destination in Alberta is Alberta's Rockies in the
Canadian Rocky Mountains, best accessed via the
Icefields Parkway
. a 233km long panoramic road between Banff and Jasper.
The
Icefields Parkway takes you to both Banff National Park and Jasper
National Park, both of which belong to Alberta. The most important
tourist destination besides Banff and Jasper is Lake Louise . with the
most photographed glacier lake of the same name.
Waterton Lakes National
Park is located in
Alberta province in Canada. This natural reserve covers an
area of 505 km².
Banff National Park is situated 110 kilometers (70 mi) West of Calgary in the Alberta province of Canada. It protects 2,580 sq. mi (6,680 sq. km) of picturesque mountains and lakes in Alberta province.
Jasper National Park is located in Alberta territory of Canada. This national reserve covers an area of 10,878 sq km (4,200 sq mi).
The official language of the province is English, as in most of Canada. The road signs are always bilingual, including French.
By plane
Most visitors will arrive in Alberta via the
international airports Edmonton International Airport (IATA: YEG) and
Calgary Airport (IATA: YYC). Calgary is also served by flights from
Europe.
By train
Edmonton is on the Canada National Railway,
which crosses the entire country. This means that Edmonton can be
reached from Vancouver as well as from Montreal or Toronto via The
Canadian. Trains run three times a week.
Calgary is served by a
tourist train from Vancouver, the Rocky Mountaineer. However, this is
more of a sightseeing trip than a practical way to get there.
By
bus
By road
The Trans-Canada Highway (H1) crosses Alberta from
west to east coming from Vancouver and touches towns such as Banff or
Canmore on the way to Calgary and further east Bassano.
The
Yellowhead Highway begins 100 km west of Winnipeg and is a panoramic
route from Jasper through the Canadian Rocky Mountains on the mainland
to Prince Rupert.
If you want to travel around the country, you will not be able to
avoid using a car. There is only one train line, and traveling by
intercity bus is inconvenient and time-consuming.
By bike
Alberta only requires children up to 18 years of age to wear a helmet,
but most cyclists wear one. When cycling in the Rocky Mountains, you can
quickly cross the border into British Columbia, where helmets are
generally required, so you should definitely have one with you.
Canadian Badlands
Badlands are generally understood to be
landscapes that are characterized by erosion and the resulting surface
forms such as canyons, gorges and ridges. The first settlers referred to
such landscapes as badlands and simply meant "it is a bad place to lose
a cow". Times and opinions have changed. Of course, such badlands are
hardly usable for agriculture, but they often arouse the interest of
tourists. The Canadian Badlands are located in the southeast of Alberta
along the Red Deer River. Here you can find spectacular landscapes and,
in particular, numerous fossils. There are also such badlands in the
Canadian provinces of Ontario and Saskatchewan. In the Canadian Badlands
in Alberta are:
2 Dinosaur Provincial Park . The park was
established in 1955 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979
3 Jasper National Park . With the Columbia Icefield.
4 Banff
National Park . The park includes Lake Louise with the town of the same
name and a 5-star hotel.
Other parks
5 Head-Smashed-In Buffalo
Jump . Historic Indian hunting ground that was added to the UNESCO World
Heritage List in 1981.
6 Wood Buffalo National Park . The largest
Canadian national park is located on the border between the provinces of
Alberta and the Northwest Territories. It has been on the UNESCO World
Heritage List since 1983 and is now also part of the Dark Sky Preserves.
7 Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park (Áísínai'pi National Historic
Site of Canada). The park contains over 50 petroglyph sites and was
declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 2004. It has also been a
UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019.
Other
Icefields
Parkway. The Icefields Parkway (= Highway 93/ 93 A) connects Jasper and
Banff over a distance of 230 km and runs through both of the national
parks mentioned above.
Elk Island
Ukraine Heritage Village
(Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village; 25 minutes east of Edmonton, and 3
km east of the National Park entrance) .
Waterton Lakes National Park
Kananaskis Country
Drumheller - Royal Tyrrell Museum
West Edmonton
Mall
Prehistoric and Indigenous History
The history of Alberta
stretches back thousands of years before European contact.
Archaeological evidence indicates that the region was inhabited by
various Indigenous groups for at least 10,000 to 13,000 years, with
ancestors of today's First Nations arriving across the Bering Strait
from Siberia and Alaska. These early peoples adapted to diverse
landscapes, from the Rocky Mountains in the west to the vast prairies in
the east and the boreal forests in the north. The area supported
hunter-gatherer societies that relied on bison herds, fishing, and
seasonal migrations.
By the time of European arrival, Alberta was
home to several distinct Indigenous nations. In the southern plains, the
Blackfoot Confederacy (including the Siksika, Kainai, and Piikani)
dominated, known for their warrior culture and bison-hunting expertise.
The Cree, including Woodland and Plains Cree, occupied central and
northern regions, while the Chipewyan (Dene) lived in the far north
around Lake Athabasca. Other groups included the Stoney (Nakoda),
Tsuut'ina (Sarcee), and Slavey. These societies had complex social
structures, trade networks, and spiritual traditions tied to the land,
with oral histories preserving knowledge of events like the last Ice
Age's retreat around 13,000 years ago. Bison jumps, such as
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (a UNESCO World Heritage site), demonstrate
sophisticated communal hunting techniques used for millennia.
European Exploration and the Fur Trade Era (1750s–1870)
Recorded
European history in Alberta began in the mid-18th century with the
expansion of the fur trade. The first documented European explorer was
Anthony Henday of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), who ventured into the
region in 1754–1755, traveling from York Factory on Hudson Bay to winter
with the Blackfoot near present-day Red Deer. His journey aimed to
encourage Indigenous peoples to trade furs directly with the HBC,
countering French influence from the south and east.
By the late 18th
century, rival companies established trading posts along major rivers
like the Athabasca, North Saskatchewan, and Peace. The North West
Company (NWC), based in Montreal, built Fort Augustus near modern
Edmonton in 1795, while the HBC countered with nearby Edmonton House.
These forts became hubs for the beaver pelt trade, which drove economic
activity. Explorers like David Thompson (NWC) mapped the Rockies in the
early 1800s, establishing Rocky Mountain House in 1799 as a gateway to
the Pacific.
The 1821 merger of the HBC and NWC ended fierce
competition, placing the region under HBC control as part of Rupert's
Land. This period saw the rise of Métis communities—descendants of
European fur traders and Indigenous women—who played key roles in trade,
buffalo hunts, and transportation via Red River carts. Missionaries,
such as Methodist Robert Rundle and Catholic Father Albert Lacombe,
arrived in the 1840s–1850s, establishing missions and influencing
cultural exchanges, though often at the expense of Indigenous
traditions.
The fur trade's decline in the mid-19th century, due to
overhunting and shifting markets, set the stage for territorial changes.
In 1870, the Dominion of Canada purchased Rupert's Land from the HBC for
£300,000, incorporating it into the Northwest Territories (NWT). This
transfer ignored Indigenous land rights, leading to tensions.
Treaties, Settlement, and the North-West Mounted Police (1870–1905)
The 1870s marked a pivotal shift toward settlement and Canadian control.
To address lawlessness, whiskey trading, and conflicts with American
incursions (e.g., the Cypress Hills Massacre of 1873), Prime Minister
John A. Macdonald created the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) in 1873.
Led by Colonel James F. Macleod, they established Fort Macleod in 1874
and Fort Calgary in 1875, enforcing law and facilitating treaties.
Between 1876 and 1899, the Canadian government negotiated Numbered
Treaties with Indigenous nations to clear land for settlement. Treaty 6
(1876) covered central Alberta (Cree and others), Treaty 7 (1877) the
south (Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuut'ina, Stoney), and Treaty 8 (1899)
the north (Dene, Cree). These treaties promised reserves, annuities,
education, and hunting rights in exchange for land cessions, but were
often misunderstood or dishonored, leading to reserves and cultural
disruptions. The bison's near-extinction by the 1880s exacerbated famine
and dependency.
The Dominion Lands Act of 1872 offered cheap
homesteads, spurring immigration. The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)
reached Calgary in 1883, connecting Alberta to eastern markets and
accelerating growth. Ranching boomed with American cowboys introducing
large-scale cattle operations, while wheat farming expanded due to new
hardy varieties. Population surged from about 1,000 non-Indigenous in
1870 to 73,000 by 1901, including Europeans (e.g., Ukrainians, Germans)
and Americans.
In 1882, the NWT was divided into districts, including
Alberta, named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, daughter of Queen
Victoria and wife of Governor General Marquis of Lorne. Agitation for
provincial status, led by figures like Frederick Haultain, culminated in
the Alberta Act of 1905. On September 1, 1905, Alberta became a province
alongside Saskatchewan, with Edmonton as capital and Liberal Alexander
C. Rutherford as first premier. Federal control over natural resources
persisted until 1930.
Early Provincial Era and Economic
Challenges (1905–1940s)
Post-1905, Alberta's population exploded to
374,000 by 1911, fueled by immigration and agriculture. Urban centers
like Calgary (cattle and oil) and Edmonton (government and trade) grew
rapidly. The University of Alberta was founded in 1908. Oil was
discovered at Turner Valley in 1914, hinting at future wealth, while
coal mining expanded in Lethbridge and the Drumheller Valley.
World
War I (1914–1918) brought prosperity through wheat exports but also
labor shortages. Postwar, the 1920s saw mixed fortunes: a "second golden
age" for cattle ranching (1914–1920) gave way to debt and depression in
the early 1920s. The Alberta Wheat Pool formed in 1923 to stabilize
farming.
The Great Depression and Dust Bowl of the 1930s devastated
Alberta. Drought turned prairies into dust bowls, forcing farm
abandonments and migrations. Social Credit Party leader William
Aberhart, a radio preacher, won the 1935 election promising "prosperity
certificates" (a form of social dividend), though federal courts blocked
many reforms. His successor, Ernest Manning (1943–1968), shifted toward
conservative policies.
Oil Boom and Modern Alberta (1947–Present)
The 1947 Leduc No. 1 oil strike transformed Alberta into an energy
powerhouse, sparking a boom that attracted investment and population
growth. Oil sands development began commercially in 1967 near Fort
McMurray, now a major industry despite environmental concerns.
Under
Progressive Conservative Premier Peter Lougheed (1971–1985), Alberta
asserted resource control, clashing with Ottawa over the 1980 National
Energy Program (NEP), which Alberta viewed as federal overreach. Ralph
Klein (1992–2006) implemented austerity and deregulation, paying off
debt during high oil prices. The 2015 election of NDP Premier Rachel
Notley marked a leftward shift, focusing on diversification and climate
action, but she lost in 2019 to United Conservative Jason Kenney amid
pipeline debates (e.g., Keystone XL, Trans Mountain).
Recent
challenges include the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, economic downturns
from low oil prices, and tensions over sovereignty and federal
relations. Populism has influenced politics, with the United
Conservative Party empowering grassroots elements. Today, Alberta's
economy remains tied to energy, but efforts toward tech, renewables, and
tourism continue, with a population exceeding 4.7 million reflecting its
diverse, resilient history.
Alberta, one of Canada's thirteen provinces and territories, is
situated in Western Canada within the region known as the Canadian
Prairies. It stretches approximately 1,200 km from north to south and
covers a total area of 661,848 km² (255,541 sq mi), making it the
sixth-largest province or territory in Canada. Of this area, about
97.05% is land, with the remaining 2.95% consisting of water bodies.
Alberta is landlocked, sharing borders with Montana (United States) to
the south along the 49th parallel north for 298 km; Saskatchewan to the
east along the 110th meridian west for 1,223 km; the Northwest
Territories to the north along the 60th parallel north for 644 km; and
British Columbia to the west. The southern half of the western border
follows the Continental Divide along the peaks of the Rocky Mountains,
while the northern half aligns with the 120th meridian west. As one of
only two landlocked provinces (alongside Saskatchewan), Alberta has no
coastline but is connected hydrologically to the Pacific Ocean, Arctic
Ocean, and Hudson Bay through its river systems.
Topography and
Landforms
Alberta's diverse topography was primarily shaped by the
Wisconsin Glaciation, which blanketed the province in ice from about
75,000 to 11,000 years ago, depositing vast amounts of glacial till upon
retreat. The southern region is dominated by expansive, nearly treeless
plains characterized by undulating grasslands and rounded ridges covered
in short grasses, ideal for supporting large herds of beef cattle. As
one moves westward, these transition into the foothills of the Rocky
Mountains, where trees become more abundant. North of the North
Saskatchewan River, continuous forests prevail.
The Canadian Rockies
form a dramatic western boundary, with peaks visible from up to 100 km
away as a line of snow-capped summits. Many exceed 3,000 meters in
elevation, including Mount Columbia (3,747 m, the highest point in
Alberta), the Twin Peaks massif (3,684 m), Mount Alberta (3,619 m),
Mount Forbes (3,612 m), Mount Temple (3,543 m), Mount Brazeau (3,525 m),
Snow Dome (3,520 m), Mount Lyell (3,504 m), Mount Kitchener (3,505 m),
and Mount Hungabee (3,492 m). In the north, the Caribou Mountains create
an elevated plateau reaching 1,030 m, about 700 m above the surrounding
terrain. The Cypress Hills in the southeast, straddling the Saskatchewan
border, rise to 1,468 m—the highest point between the Rockies and
Labrador—and stand 600 m above the adjacent prairie.
Notable alpine
passes include the Crowsnest Pass near the southern border (used by the
Canadian Pacific Railway), Kicking Horse Pass (130 km from Banff
National Park's eastern gate), and Yellowhead Pass (west of the
Athabasca River, historically significant for exploration in the 19th
century).
Physiographic Regions
Alberta can be divided into
several physiographic regions based on terrain and ecology. These
include the vast plains of the south and east, the Rocky Mountain
foothills, and the boreal forests of the north. The province's position
on the Continental Divide influences water flow directions, with rivers
draining toward the Pacific, Arctic, or Hudson Bay. Agriculture Canada's
1986 mapping identified regions aligning with these features,
emphasizing the transition from arid prairies to mountainous and
forested zones.
Climate
Alberta's climate is highly variable
due to its north-south extent, longitude, altitude, and inland position,
resulting in a generally dry, continental climate influenced by the rain
shadow of the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Coast Ranges. Winters exhibit
extreme variability, with warm chinook winds from the Rockies
contrasting cold arctic air masses from the north. This can lead to
dramatic temperature swings, from oceanic-like mildness (e.g.,
Edmonton's February 1977 average of 1.1°C) to Siberian cold (e.g.,
Edmonton's January 1950 average of −27.8°C).
Southern Alberta:
Features a dry steppe climate (Köppen BSk or Dfb, with some Dwb around
Calgary and Dfc in higher areas like Cypress Hills). Annual
precipitation ranges from 280–430 mm, with hot summers, cold winters
moderated by chinooks, and drought-prone conditions requiring irrigation
for farming. Vegetation includes dry mixed grass prairie transitioning
to fescue prairie. Calgary (elevation 1,084 m) averages 445 mm
precipitation annually, with January means of −7.6°C and July 16.9°C;
extremes range from −45°C to 36.7°C.
Central Alberta: Predominantly
humid continental (Dfb), with semi-arid pockets (BSk) in the southeast.
Higher precipitation than the south but still variable; cooler due to
reduced solar input and fewer chinooks. This area is tornado-prone,
second only to Southern Ontario. Vegetation spans aspen parkland,
mixedgrass prairie, and boreal forests. Edmonton (elevation 671 m) sees
423 mm annual precipitation, with January means of −10.3°C and July
18.1°C; extremes from −49.4°C to 37.2°C. Drier spots like Oyen average
312 mm precipitation.
Northern Alberta: The coldest region, mostly
subarctic (Dfc) with Dfb in southern parts like the Peace River Country.
Long, harsh winters and short, warm summers prevail, with lower
precipitation but higher effective moisture due to reduced evaporation.
Vegetation is dominated by mixed and coniferous taiga. Grande Prairie
averages 435 mm precipitation, with January means of −13.9°C; High Level
sees January means of −19.8°C and extremes down to −50.6°C.
Rocky
Mountains and Cypress Hills: Range from humid continental (Dfb) at lower
elevations to subarctic (Dfc) and alpine (ETH) higher up. Milder winters
with chinooks, cooler summers, and higher precipitation support dense
forests. Lake Louise (elevation 1,524 m) averages 544 mm precipitation,
with January means of −12°C.
Hydrography: Rivers and Lakes
Alberta is well-watered outside its arid southern plains. Major river
systems originate in the Rockies. The South Saskatchewan River forms
from the Oldman and Bow Rivers, joined by the Red Deer River, flowing
eastward to Hudson Bay via the Saskatchewan and Nelson Rivers. The North
Saskatchewan River, with tributaries like the Battle River, merges with
the South Saskatchewan outside Alberta.
Northern rivers drain to the
Arctic: The Athabasca River flows north from Mount Athabasca to Lake
Athabasca, where it meets the Peace River to form the Slave River,
eventually reaching the Mackenzie River. Mount Athabasca exemplifies the
triple continental divide, with waters flowing to the Pacific, Arctic,
and Hudson Bay.
Key lakes include Lake Athabasca (2,295 km²,
partially in Saskatchewan) and Lesser Slave Lake (1,168 km²), alongside
numerous smaller bodies. The longest river is the Athabasca (1,231 km),
with the Saskatchewan system being one of the continent's mightiest.
Ecology: Flora and Fauna
Vegetation varies regionally: Southern
plains feature dry mixed grass and fescue prairies; central areas
include aspen parkland and mixed boreal forests; northern regions are
covered in coniferous taiga; and mountains host lodgepole pine, aspen,
Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, and alpine tundra species like heather
and sedges above the tree line. Alberta's natural regions, as defined by
the Natural Regions Committee, include subregions reflecting these
zones, aligned with WWF ecoregions and CEC ecozones.
Fauna is
diverse, supporting species adapted to prairies (e.g., pronghorn,
bison), forests (e.g., moose, bears), and mountains (e.g., bighorn
sheep, mountain goats). The province's ecology is influenced by its
glacial history and climatic extremes.
Natural Resources
Alberta boasts extensive natural resources, including vast oil reserves
in the Athabasca oil sands of the north. Fertile soils in central and
northern areas support agriculture, with irrigation essential in the dry
south. Grasslands are prime for cattle ranching, while forests provide
timber. The province's geology also yields coal, natural gas, and
minerals, underpinning its economy.