Alberta

Introduction

Bow Lake, Banff NP

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Often thought of as Canada's wild west, Alberta is a land of strong urban development as well as striking natural beauty. From badlands and prairies to rocky mountains, along with one of Canada's most densely populated corridors, Alberta is a unique part of the Canadian west.

Geography

Alberta is part of western Canada, bordering Saskatchwan to the east, British Columbia to the west, the Northwest Territories to the north, with the United States (Montana) sitting directly below the 49th parallel.

In the southwest section of the province, snaking along the border with British Columbia, the Canadian Rocky Mountains are located, giving way to foothills and eventually plains as one heads east. In southeastern Alberta, where the Red Deer river crosses the flat prairie land, deep gorges and land forms such as hoodoos create a striking landscape known as the Badlands

Cities

The two largest cities in Alberta are Edmonton (The capital) and Calgary (The province's largest city). Both cities have metro-area populations of around 1 million. Calgary and Edmonton are anchors to the provinces "Calgary Edmonton Corridor" and within this 400km strip of land stretching between, and including the two cities lives nearly 75% of Alberta's population^[1]. Included within this corridor are some of the provinces smaller cities of Red Deer, Wetaskiwin, Leduc and Airdrie.

Sights and Activities

• Arguably Alberta's most popular sights are within the Rockies. Jasper and Banff national parks feature the striking beauty of the Rocky Mountains, as well as many different recreational activities such as Hiking, Camping and Skiing.

• West Edmonton Mall, which for many years held the title of of being the largest mall in the world is a popular destination for visitors. The mall includes a huge indoor water park showcasing the worlds largest indoor wave-pool as well as a large indoor amusement park. West Edmonton mall is also home of many big name stores that cannot be found elsewhere in western Canada.

Events and Festivals

Edmonton, known as Canada's festival city is home to many exciting summer festivals.

• Edmonton International Fringe Festival Edmonton’s world-renowned theatre festival, the oldest and largest in North America and the second-largest in the world.
• Edmonton International Street Performers Festival Top performers from around the world come to downtown Edmonton to impress and entertain.
• Capital Ex Formerly "Klondike Days" Capital Ex features many live entertainment and cultural events, as well as midway and exhibitions.
• Edmonton Heritage Festival A proud demonstration of Canadian multiculturalism, over 60 pavilions representing different world cultures provide food, artwork, and cultural demonstrations.
• Taste of Edmonton Usually run at the same time as Capital Ex, a large group of Edmonton Restaurants set up downtown and give people a chance to sample some their fare.
• Festival of Trees A collection of Christmas activities, markets and exhibitions set around a collection of unique and elaborately decorated Christmas trees.
• Edmonton international Jazz festival
• Edmonton Folk Music Festival World class folk fest featuring a large variety of artists and types of music.
• Cariwest Edmonton's Caribbean Arts Festival including a colourful parade downtown and exciting entertainment.

Calgary also features many festivals and events

• Calgary Stampede World famous festival of Alberta's wild west past.
• Lilac Festival Hundreds of food and entertainment vendors set up in the streets for an exciting and popular day.
• carifest On of Calgary's largest festivals featuring arts and culture of the Caribbean.
• Calgary Folk Music Festival Popular music festival including markets and a variety of music and artists.

Weather

Getting There

By Plane

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Plane

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Eat

The greatest variety of food can be found in Edmonton and Calgary. Besides being famous for producting high-quality beef, Alberta does not have a distinct cuisine. However, like much of Canada, the multicultural make-up of the province provides for many excellent restaurants providing food from almost anywhere in the world.

Drink

Sleep