Alberta Facts

Named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, Alberta was proclaimed a province on September 1, 1905. Located where the Rocky Mountains meet the prairie, Alberta's principal industries include oil and gas, which became a major revenue generator starting in the late 1940s, and agriculture, thanks to the pioneering farmers who settled in the province in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Memories of that era remain and are celebrated every summer when Calgarians don cowboy boots and hats and attend rodeos and chuckwagon races during the city's internationally renowned Stampede.

But though still proud of being a part of the Canadian Wild West, many Albertans have left their farms and ranches for the city. Most of the province's population is urban with more than half living in the provincial capital, Edmonton, and in Calgary.

And Alberta entered the 21st century focused on its growing advanced technology sector highlighted by the Alberta Research Council, Canada's largest provincial research organization with about 400 employees.

The province, which is home to more than 29 universities and colleges, also touts itself as having the most skilled and educated people in North America in which more than 40 per cent of Alberta's workforce hold post-secondary degrees or certificates.

Yet as Alberta looks ahead, it hasn't forgotten its roots that extend well before human history. One of the province's most popular attractions is Dinosaur Provincial Park, located in the Alberta badlands, where a century of excavations have discovered the skeletons of over 150 dinosaurs that once roamed the landscape 75 million years ago.

Population:

As of January 1, 2009, Alberta's population is estimated to be 3,632,483. This represents a yearly increase of approximately 91,251 persons (or 2.58% growth) for the twelve months ending January 1, 2008. Source: Alberta Finance

Capital City: Edmonton

Currency: Canadian dollar

Weather: Current weather in Alberta

Telephone Area Codes: 780 in the northern part of the province, 403 in the south, 587 across the province

Proclaimed a Province: September 1, 1905

Time Zone: Mountain Time (two hours behind Toronto or New York; one hour ahead of Vancouver, Seattle or Los Angeles; seven hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT); and six hours behind GMT during Daylight Savings Time)

Moving to Alberta

If you're interested in making Alberta your new home or if you already live here and are planning to move somewhere else in the province, the links on the below page will take you to information on everything from housing and services to Alberta communities to changing your address.

Moving to and around Alberta

Alberta's official immigration website

Maps and Travel

Travelling to and around Alberta — Driving distance calculator

Map of Alberta

Services for Travellers

Emblems

Alberta's most well-known emblem is the Wild Rose, but the province has many other emblems.
Alberta's emblems (pdf, opens in a new window)

Living in Alberta

Common Questions, Financial Resources, Forms, Legislation, Licensing & Registration, Maps, Online Services, Culture, Safe Communities

People Services

Aboriginal peoples, Artists, Caregivers, Children, Farmers , Government, Health Care Professionals, Immigrants, Job Seekers, Lower-Income Earners, Nonprofit/Voluntary Organizations, Parents, Persons with Disabilities, Researchers, Rural Residents, Seniors, Students, Teachers, Travellers , Youth

Non-profit and Voluntary Organizations

Common Questions, Financial Resources, Forms, Licensing & Registration, Online Services, Publications