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Manitoba is one of Canada's provinces. It
is the fifth Canadian province (created by the
government in 1870). Its population as of July
1, 2005 (Statistics Canada) was 1,177,556
(Manitobans). It is the easternmost of the three
Prairie Provinces. The name is Ojibwa, meaning
"straits of the spirit".
Its capital and largest city (containing over
one half the provincial population) is Winnipeg.
Other important cities and towns include
Brandon, Thompson, Dauphin, Swan River,
Churchill, The Pas, Selkirk, Portage la Prairie,
Flin Flon, Steinbach, Morden, and Winkler.
Geography
Manitoba is located in the longitudinal centre
of Canada, although it is considered part of
Western Canada. It borders Saskatchewan to the
west, Ontario to the east, Nunavut to the north,
and the American states of North Dakota and
Minnesota to the south.
The province has a coast with Hudson Bay, and
contains the very large Lakes Winnipeg, Manitoba
(its namesake), and Winnipegosis. Important
watercourses include the Red River, Assiniboine
River, Nelson River, Winnipeg River, Hayes River
and Churchill River.
It is generally flat and low-lying though there
are some hilly areas in the province. Baldy
Mountain is the highest point at 831m (2,727
feet) and the Hudson Bay coast the lowest at sea
level. Other upland areas include Riding
Mountain, the Pembina Hills, and the Canadian
Shield regions to the east.
The climate in Manitoba is typical of its mid
continent location and northerly latitude. In
general, temperatures and precipitation decrease
from south to north. Summers are generally warm
to hot and winters very cold. Both spring and
autumn are contracted seasons. As Manitoba is
far removed from the moderating influences of
both mountain ranges and large bodies of water
(all of Manitoba's lakes freeze during the
winter months), and because of its generally
flat landscape, it is exposed to numerous
weather systems throughout the year including
prolonged cold spells in the winter months when
arctic high pressure air masses settle over the
province. This has resulted in the capital of
the province being nicknamed "Winterpeg". In the
summer months the climate is often influenced by
low pressure air masses originating in the Gulf
of Mexico resulting in hot and humid conditions
and frequent thunderstorms.
Only the southern parts of the province support
extensive agriculture. The northern reaches of
the province range through coniferous forests,
muskeg, and up to tundra in the far north. There
is approximately 24,000 square miles of
untouched boreal forest on the eastern side of
Lake Winnipeg. This area is renowned by
naturalists and sportsmen for its pristine
wilderness.
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Background:
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A
land of vast distances and rich natural resources,
Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867
while retaining ties to the British crown.
Economically and technologically the nation has
developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to
the south across an unfortified border. Its
paramount political problem continues to be the
relationship of the province of Quebec, with its
French-speaking residents and unique culture, to the
remainder of the country. |
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Population:
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32,507,874 (July 2004 est.) |
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Languages:
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English 59.3% (official), French 23.2% (official),
other 17.5% |
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Currency:
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Canadian dollar (CAD)
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Currency code:
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CAD
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Exchange rates:
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Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.4 (2003), 1.57
(2002), 1.55 (2001), 1.49 (2000), 1.49 (1999) |
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