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Known as the "Land of the Living Skies," Saskatchewan
is the heart of the prairies. With landscapes that stretch as far
as the eye can see, and small town friendliness mixed with bustling
city life, Saskatchewan is truly a unique province.
Saskatchewan has a quiet stillness that invades your soul. The
landscape is Larger-than-life, the people down-to-earth, the cultural
experiences authentic. There's room to breath in the cities and
towns, the beaches and resorts.
LOCATION
Located in the middle of the western prairie provinces of Canada,
Saskatchewan is bordered by Manitoba, Saskatchewan, the Northwest
Territories and the United States. The province is almost rectangular
in shape and has an area of 651,900 square kilometres. Half of the
province is covered with forests, one third of cultivated farmland
and one eighth is covered with water.
HISTORY
The first European explorers and fur traders, who represented the
Hudson's Bay Company, came to Saskatchewan in the late 1600s. They
found established settlements of Aboriginal people, including Chipewyan
Indians in the north, the nomadic Blackfoot roaming the eastern
plains, Assiniboine in the west, and the Cree, who resided in the
north as well as on the plains. The Government of Canada purchased
the Territories in 1870 for its agricultural potential and to build
its population. The Métis, people of mixed French and Aboriginal
descent, settled here early migrated westward from Manitoba. Saskatchewan
entered Confederation as a province in 1905, and Regina was chosen
the provincial capital.
PEOPLE
Saskatchewan's population stands at about one million. It's Canada's
only province where a minority of the population is from British
or French background. The majority comes from a variety of ethnic
groups: German, Ukrainian, Scandinavian, Amerindian, Dutch, Polish
and Russian, plus many non-European origins. Saskatoon
and Regina
are the major urban centers in Saskatchewan.
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