Facts
About Saskatchewan
Broad
expanses of land, with fields of wheat as far as
the eye can see, are broken only by tall grain elevators
in the central Prairie Province. Since the mid-1930s
Saskatchewan has produced more than half of Canada's
annual wheat crop. It is also one of the world's
leaders in wheat production.
Saskatchewan
is a varied land, with grassy plains, parklands,
and northern forests that stretch toward the treeless
Arctic tundra. The northern third of the province
is in the Canadian Shield. The remainder is in the
Interior Plains and Lowlands.
Most of the people of Saskatchewan live in the the
southern part of the province, in the Interior Plains
and Lowlands region, which is made up of three subdivisions.
Population
(2001). 978,933--rank, 6th province. Urban, 58%;
rural, 42%. Persons per square mile, 3.9 (per square
kilometer, 1.5)--rank, 9th province.
LARGEST CITIES (1991 census)
Saskatoon
(city, 186,058; metropolitan area, 210,023). On
South Saskatchewan River; service, distributing,
farming, and manufacturing center; University of
Saskatchewan.
Regina (179,178). Provincial capital; commercial
and financial center; headquarters of Saskatchewan
Wheat Pool, world's largest grain cooperative; Royal
Canadian Mounted Police training facilities; University
of Regina.
Prince Albert (34,181). "Gateway to
the north"; agricultural service center; Prince
Albert National Park nearby.
Moose Jaw (33,593). Agricultural service
center; railroad hub; jet training base; art museum.
Yorkton (15,315). Agricultural and commercial
center; Godfrey Dean Cultural Center; dome paintings
in St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church.
Extent. Area, 251,700 square miles (651,900
square kilometers), including 31,518 square miles
(81,631 square kilometers) of water surface (5th
province in size).
Elevation. Highest, Cypress Hill, 4,546 feet
(1,386 meters); lowest, Lake Athabasca, 699 feet
(213 meters); average, 2,000 feet (610 meters).
Temperature. Extremes--lowest, -70o F (-56.7o
C), Prince Albert, Feb. 1, 1893; highest, 113o F
(45.0o C), Midale and Yellow Grass, July 5, 1937.
Averages at Regina--January, 26.1o F (-3.3o C);
July, 61.1o F (16.2o C); annual, 41.8 F (5.4 C).
Averages at Saskatoon--January, 0.3o F (-17.6 C);
July, 66.8 F (19.3 C); annual, 35.6o F (2.0 C).
Precipitation. Average annual total--at Regina,
11.26 inches (286 millimeters);
at Saskatoon, 10.04 inches (255 millimeters).
Land Use. Agricultural, 24.6%; forest, 45.6%;
urban and developed, 0.7%; wildland, 29.1%.
