The Saskatchewan region
Saskatchewan is the middle province of Canada's three prairie provinces. It has an area of 651,900 km² (251,700 mi²) 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 (in order of size) include
Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Swift Current, and North Battleford.
The province's name comes from the Saskatchewan River, whose name comes from its Cree designation: kisiskaciwani-sipiy, meaning "swift flowing river".
Saskatchewan is a quadrilateral; however, due to its size, the 49th parallel boundary and the 60th northern border appear curved. In addition, the eastern
boundary of the province is partially crooked rather than following a line of longitude, as correction lines were devised by surveyors prior to the
homestead program (1880-1928). Saskatchewan is bounded on 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. It is also one of only two provinces that are completely land-locked. Saskatchewan
contains two major natural regions: the Canadian Shield in the north and the Interior Plains in the south. Northern Saskatchewan is mostly
covered by boreal forest except for The Lake Athabasca Sand Dunes, the largest active sand dunes in the world north of 58°, adjacent to the
southern shore of Lake Athabasca. Southern Saskatchewan contains another area with sand dunes known as the "Great Sand Hills" covering over 300 square
kilometers. The Cypress Hills, located in the southwestern corner of Saskatchewan and Killdeer Badlands (Grasslands National Park) are areas of
the province that remained unglaciated during the last glaciation period. The province's highest point, 1,468 metres (4,816') is located in the
Cypress Hills. The lowest point, 213 metres (700') is the shore of Lake Athabasca in the far north. The province has nine distinct drainage basins
made up of various rivers and watersheds draining into the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay, and Gulf of Mexico.
Saskatchewan lies very far from any significant body of water, deep within the continent of North America. It is about a 12-hour drive from the Pacific
Ocean and a two-day drive from the Atlantic Ocean. This, combined with its northerly latitude gives it a cold summer type humid continental climate
in the eastern half, drying off to a semi-arid steppe climate in the western part of the province. Summers can be very hot, with temperatures above 32°C
(90°F) during the day. Warm southern winds blow from the United states during much of July and August. While winters can be bitterly cold, with high
temperatures not breaking -17°C (0°F) for weeks at a time, warm chinook winds often blow from the south, bringing periods of mild weather. Annual
precipitation averages from 12 to 18 inches annually across the province, with the bulk of rain falling in June, July, and August................
Adopted from and read more at:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saskatchewan |
