Saskatchewan is the middle province
of Canada's three prairie provinces.
It has an area of 651,900 km (251,700
mi) and a population of 985,386
(Saskatchewanians) as of July
1, 2006. Most of its population
lives in the southern half of
the province. The largest city
is Saskatoon with a population
of 235,800 (July 1, 2005), followed
by the province's capital, Regina
(population: 199,000, July 1,
2005).
Other major cities include Prince
Albert, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Swift
Current, and North Battleford.
Saskatchewan is bordered to the
west by Alberta, on the north
by the Northwest Territories,
on the east by Manitoba, and on
the south by the American states
of Montana and North Dakota. Saskatchewan
has the distinction of being the
only Canadian province for which
no borders correspond to physical
geographic features.
Agriculture, forestry, fishing,
and hunting together make up 6.8%
of the province's GDP. Wheat is
the most familiar crop, and perhaps
the one stereotypically associated
with the province, but other grains
like canola, flax, rye, oats,
peas, lentils, canary seed, and
barley are also produced.
Beef cattle production in the
province is only exceeded by Alberta.
Mining is also a major industry,
with Saskatchewan being the world
leader in potash exports. In the
northern part of the province,
forestry is significant.
Oil and Natural Gas production
is exceeded only by Alberta. Heavy
crude is exctracted in the Lloydminster-Kerrobert-Kindersley
areas. Light crude is found in
the Kindersley-Swift Current areas
as well as the Weyburn-Estevan
fields.
Natural gas is found almost completely
in the western part of Saskatchewan
from the Primrose Lake area through
Lloydminster, Unity, Kindersley,
Leader, and around Maple Creek
areas.
Saskatchewan is the world's most
important supplier of uranium.
This industry is closely regulated
and allows the government of Saskatchewan
great latitude in setting world
uranium prices.
Important private-sector firms
headquartered in Saskatchewan
include the Hill family's Harvard
Developments, the Saskatchewan
Wheat Pool, Concentra Financial
Services, the steelmaker Ipsco
(though its operational headquarters
is in Lisle, a suburb of Chicago),
farm implement manufacturer Brandt
Industries, PotashCorp, and Cameco.
Crown corporations include major
Saskatchewan-based entities are
SaskTel, SaskEnergy (the province's
main supplier of natural gas),
and SaskPower.
Bombardier runs the NATO Flying
Training Centre at 15 Wing, near
Moose Jaw. Bombardier was awarded
a long-term contract in the late
1990s for $2.8 billion from the
federal government for the purchase
of military aircraft and the running
of the training facility.
