THE PRAIRIE PROVINCES

Martin Filippov

Nils Muttias Mülder

The Canadian Prairies is a region in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are partially covered by prairies a.k.a grasslands .

Weather

The Canadian prairies generally experience dry semi-arid climates, and somewhat dry Humid Continental climates . The Canadian prairies typically experience about 12 to 15 inches of annual precipitation in the semi-arid areas while they experience 16 to 20 inches in the continental regions. Manitoba is the most humid of the three prairie provinces.

Physical geography

Although the Prairie Provinces region is named for the prairies located within Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the physical geography of the three provinces is quite different, consisting of portions of the Canadian Shield, the Western Cordillera and the Canadian Interior Plains. The plains comprise both prairies and forests while, with the exception of Arctic tundra along the Hudson Bay, the shield is predominantly forested.

Culture

The Prairies are distinguished from the rest of Canada by cultural and political traits. The oldest influence on Prairie culture are the First Nations, who have lived in the area for millennia. Not until the Canadian Pacific Railway was built did widespread agricultural settlement occur. During their settlement, the prairies were settled in distinct ethnic block settlements giving certain areas distinctively Ukrainian, German, French, or Scandinavian Canadian cultures

First settlers

The first Europeans to see the Prairies were fur traders and explorers from eastern Canada and Great Britain via Hudson Bay.