About Saskatchewan
Facts and Figures
| Location | Between 102 and 110 degrees longitude west of the Greenwich meridian and between 49 and 60 degrees latitude north of the equator |
| Population | 995,058 (April 2004) |
| Area | 651,900 km2 (251,700 mi2) 87.4% land, 12.6% fresh water |
| Highest Elevation | Cypress Hills - 1,392 m |
| Timezone | Central Standard Time Saskatchewan does not switch to Daylight Saving Time in the summer. The time now is 3:11 PM |
| Climate | Warm, dry summers and cold, dry winters |
| Capital City | Regina |
| Largest City | Saskatoon |
This Day in History
- 1959 - Adam Basaraba, of White Fox, kidnapped by Cuban rebels, was released after a plea to Fidel Castro.
General Information
- The name Saskatchewan derives from the Plains Indian word "kisiskatchewan" which means swiftly flowing river. Saskatchewan is also the name of the major river system in the province. Other important waterways are the Qu'Appelle and Churchill, all of which drain into Hudson Bay.
- Saskatchewan is 1 of 10 Canadian provinces and is situated in the heart of North America. Our neighbour to the east is the Province of Manitoba, and to the west is the Province of Alberta. To the North we border the Northwest Territories and Nunavut and, to the south, the American states of North Dakota and Montana. There are 72 First Nations in Saskatchewan. Reserve lands are scattered throughout the province and presently account for 2.1 million acres of the 161.1 million acre provincial land base.
- Saskatchewan became a province of Canada in 1905 and is now home to approximately 1,000,000 people with 64% of the population in urban centres and 36% in rural areas. There are 13 cities, 145 towns, 289 villages, 39 resort villages, 35 Northern Municipalities and 296 Rural Municipalities in the province.
- Saskatchewan has a democratic government run on the parliamentary system with an appointed Lieutenant Governor representing the Crown, and an elected Legislative Assembly.
- Saskatchewan produces 54% of the wheat grown in Canada and while agriculture is still very important to our economy, generating almost $2 billion annually, service-based sectors such as finance, insurance and real estate ($3.3 billion) also make a significant impact.
Tidbits
- Saskatchewan is Canada's "sunniest" province, averaging from 2,000 to 2,500 hours of sunshine annually. The city of Estevan in the southeast leads the country with an average 2,540 sunshine-filled hours each year.
- Saskatchewan is home to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police training academy located in Regina.
- The first bird sanctuary in North America was established in 1887 at Last Mountain Lake in Saskatchewan and now forms the Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area.