|
INTRO
Some people call it "The Festival City", others prefer to consider it as "The Oil Capital of Canada". But the truth is that no matter how we nickname it, Edmonton remains an elaborated and prosperous city, noted for its blooming economy, recreational parklands and fertile soils.
City Profile
City: Edmonton
Country: Canada
Area: 684.37 km2
Population: 1,034,945
Mayor: Stephen Mandel
Language: English, French
LOCATION
Being the second largest city in Alberta, Edmonton is located in its geographical centre, bordered by the prairies to the south and the boreal forest to the north. Set along the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, on some of the most fertile lands in Canada, Edmonton is the agricultural, industrial and distributional centre for the province and the major gateway to Northern Canada.
TIME TO VISIT
The best time to appreciate Edmonton is during the summer, between June and August. This time of the year is marked by many festivals and the city gets filled with excitement and celebration. Generally, Edmonton has a northern continental climate that can be roughly described with chilly winters, moderate summers and short and variable spring and autumn. The average temperatures during the summer days are around 20 degrees Celsius. Occasional tornadoes, hail and thunderstorms are characteristic of this region but less typical than the southern parts of the country. Devastating weather conditions occur quite rarely. Winters in Edmonton are rather cold with average temperatures frequently falling below minus 10 degrees Celsius.
POPULATION
Edmonton is the country's second most populous provincial capital with over a million inhabitants in its metropolitan area. It has been recorded that the number of people living in the region has increased with about 10% for the last years. Five minority groups can be distinguished among the native population and those include Chinese, Aboriginal, South Asian, Black and Filipinos. Other ethnic groups comprising smaller percentages of the citizens can also be found. The official language here is English but there is a francophone minority that speaks French as a first language.
DISTRICTS
Generally, the city is separated into five basic regions: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest and West end. Each of these regions includes many neighbourhoods that are mainly residential districts.
-
Northwest region comprises of eight distinguished neighbourhoods, one of which is the central downtown area where most of the city's everyday life is concentrated
-
West end also consists of several separate districts but the main one is West Edmonton Mall district where the famous West Edmonton Mall is situated.
-
Northeast
-
Southeast
-
Southwest
The Land
Roughly half of the southwestern section of the province is dominated by mountains and foothills - striking reminders of the glaciers that, over millions of years, formed, moved and receded in the area. Peaks of the Rocky Mountains located in Alberta range from 2 130 to 3 747 metres in elevation.
Over one-half of the province of Alberta, or approximately 350 000 km2, is covered by forests. Of the total forest area, 216 000 km2 are classified as commercially productive forest land and contain both hardwood and softwood species.
Attractions
The Edmonton Alberta Capital Region features more than 40 attractions of interest, including galleries, museums, zoos, and historical sites. These attractions, including West Edmonton Mall, Odyssium (formerly the Edmonton Space & Science Centre), Fort Edmonton Park and the Alberta Legislature Building, offer enjoyment and entertainment value for all.
Economy
Alberta has one of the world's most productive agricultural economies, producing about 25 percent of the value of Canada's annual output. Approximately 22 million hectares of cultivated and uncultivated land are used as pasture and forage for livestock. While wheat remains the primary crop, the production of new crops continues to expand as the industry diversifies. The province maintains the largest livestock population in Canada.
Long known as Canada's "energy province," Alberta has more than 65 percent of the country's reserves of conventional crude oil, over 80 percent of its natural gas, and all of its bitumen and oil-sands reserves.
|