Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta are called the Prairie provinces. This region of Canada is known for its fertile agricultural land and valuable energy resources.
The Prairies are flat plains that stretch across the southern part of the region. This area has few trees and very fertile soil. Most of what was open grasslands is now used for farming, particularly grain crops, and for raising cattle.
The Prairie region, however, is not all flat farmland. The northern and western parts of the region include gently rolling hills, valleys and rivers. In southern Alberta, the open prairies gradually rise to meet the Rocky Mountains along the border of British Columbia.
The people
The First Nations people, the earliest inhabitants of the Prairies, were skilled buffalo hunters. Their descendants and the Métis people became important suppliers, traders, guides and interpreters for the fur trade.
French-speaking people have lived in the Prairie provinces since the early days of the fur trade. Descendants of these early settlers still live in the Prairie region.
During the late 1800s, the Canadian government built a railway across the Prairies to the Pacific coast. This made immigration to western Canada much easier. In the early 1900s, about three million people came to the Prairies from Europe and Britain. Many settled on land that the government offered at cheap prices to encourage settlement in the West.
The economy
The Prairies are rich in energy resources. About one-half of all the energy used in Canada comes from oil and natural gas. Alberta is the country’s major producer of these fuels. Alberta also has an important coal mining industry. Saskatchewan is a large producer of oil, natural gas, uranium and potash. Manitoba, known as the Land of 100,000 Lakes, is the most important source of hydroelectric power in the Prairie region.
The majority of people in the Prairie provinces work in service industries. This includes business and financial services, transportation, tourism, the retail industry, and health and education.
The Prairies have some of the most fertile farmland in the world. Prairie farmers and ranchers produce grains (such as wheat, barley or oats), meat and other food products for markets in Canada and other countries. In Manitoba, the agricultural industry benefits from heavy rainfall and farmers produce a wide variety of grain crops and livestock. Saskatchewan, the leading wheat producer in Canada, is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. Alberta leads the country in beef cattle and feed grain production.
Manitoba’s manufacturing industries produce a variety of goods, including food, transportation equipment, metal products, electrical goods and clothing. The manufacturing, mining and forestry sectors play an important role in Saskatchewan’s economy. Food and beverage processing is the largest manufacturing industry in Alberta.
| Population (approximate) | |
| Manitoba | 1.2 million |
| Saskatchewan | 1 million |
| Alberta | 3 million |
| Prairie Provinces | 5.2 million |
This material is based on the official copyright publication "A Look At Canada" produced by the Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2006. It is reproduced here for the purposes of educating applicants for Canadian Citizenship.