Which region is rich in energy resources and has some of the most fertile farmland in the world?
- The Atlantic Provinces
- The North
- The Prairie Provinces
- The West Coast
Answer: The Prairie Provinces
The Prairie Provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta) have some of the most fertile farmland in the world and are rich in energy resources. Saskatchewan has 40% of Canada’s arable land, and Alberta is the largest producer of oil and gas.
Learn more: The Prairie Provinces
- Manitoba’s economy rests on agriculture, mining and hydro-electric power. Winnipeg is its most populous city; Portage and Main, in the Exchange District, is the most famous street intersection in Canada.
- St. Boniface, Winnipeg’s French Quarter, has Western Canada’s largest Francophone community (45,000).
- Manitoba is a centre of Ukrainian culture (14% Ukrainian origins) and has the largest Aboriginal population of any province as a share of its people, 18.1% in 2021.
- Saskatchewan was once called the “breadbasket of the world” and the “wheat province.” It has 40% of Canada’s arable land and is the country’s largest producer of grains and oilseeds.
- Saskatchewan has the world’s richest deposits of uranium and potash (used in fertilizer), and produces oil and natural gas.
- Regina, Saskatchewan’s capital, is home to the training academy of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
- Saskatoon is Saskatchewan’s largest city, headquarters of the mining industry, and a centre for education, research and technology.
- Alberta is the most populous Prairie province. It and Lake Louise were named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria.
- Alberta has five national parks, including Banff National Park, established in 1885.
- Alberta’s Badlands hold some of the world’s richest deposits of prehistoric fossils and dinosaur finds.
- Alberta is the largest producer of oil and gas; the oil sands in the north are a major energy source. Its vast cattle ranches make Canada one of the world’s major beef producers.