Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It has an area of 651,900 km2 (251,700 mi2) and a population of 1,013,035 (Saskatchewanians) (January 1, 2002). Most of its population lives in the southern part of the province. The largest city is Saskatoon with a population of 225,927, followed by the province's capital, Regina (population: 187,500). Other major cities include Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Yorkton and Swift Current. See also a List of communities in Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan is (approximately) a quadrilateral bounded on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the American states of Montana and North Dakota.
The province's name comes from the Saskatchewan River, whose name is Cree for "swift flowing river" (kisiskatchewan).
Economy
Saskatchewan's economy is mostly dominated by agriculture. Wheat is the most familiar crop, and perhaps the one stereotypically associated with the province, but other grains like canola, flax, rye, oats and barley are also produced. Mining is also a major industry in the province, with Saskatchewan being the world leader in potash exports. In the northern part of the province, forestry is significant.
Saskatchewan is also the world's most important supplier of uranium, and supplies much of the western world's supplies. The uranium industry is closely regulated by the provincial government which allows the government of Saskatchewan great latitude in setting world uranium prices.
History
Prior to European settlement, Saskatchewan was settled by Athabaskan, Algonquian, and Sioux tribes. The first European to enter Saskatchewan was Henry Kelsey in 1690, who travelled up the Saskatchewan River in hopes of trading fur with the province's indigenous peoples. The first permanent European settlement was a Hudson's Bay Company post at Cumberland House founded by Samuel Hearne in 1774.
In the 1870s settlement of the province started to take off as the Canadian Pacific Railway was built, and the Canadian government divided up the land by the Dominion Land Survey and gave free land to any willing settlers. The North West Mounted Police set up several forts across Saskatchewan.
The indigenous peoples were forced onto their own reservations, and the Métis people who had settled there, led by Louis Riel, attempted the North-West Rebellion to form their own government independent from Canada. Riel surrendered after two months and was convicted of treason.
As more settlers came to Saskatchewan on the railway, its population grew and it became a full province in 1905.
Politics
Saskatchewan has the same form of government as the other Canadian provinces with a premier, legislature, and lieutenant-governor.
For many years Saskatchewan has been one of the most leftist provinces. In 1944 they elected Tommy Douglas Premier of the first socialist government in North America. Under his Cooperative Commonwealth Federation government Saskatchewan became the first province to have socialized healthcare. In 1961, Douglas left provincial politics to become the first leader of the federal New Democratic Party .
During the post-war period the CCF and its successor the Saskatchewan New Democrats have dominated provincial politics with Douglas, Allan Blakeney and Roy Romanow all serving long periods as Premier and becoming national figures .
The Saskatchewan Liberal Party was the province's main right wing party for several decades but became insignificant following the defeat of Ross Thatcher's government in 1971. The Progressive Conservatives displaced the Liberals but imploded and officially withdrew from politics following the defeat of the scandal ridden government of Grant Devine.
Today, the official opposition in the province is the Saskatchewan Party, a new right-wing party built out of the remains of the Tories and right wing former Liberals. The current premier of Saskatchewan is New Democrat Lorne Calvert, whose government was re-elected in the 2003 election with a majority government.
See also
Referenced By
100000km2 | 1904 in Canada | 1905 | 1905 in Canada | 1906 in Canada | 1916 in Canada | 1921 Canadian election | 1922 in Canada | 1944 in Canada | 1948 in Canada | 1952 in Canada | 1956 in Canada | 1960 in Canada | 1961 in Canada | 1962 in Canada | 1964 in Canada | 1967 in Canada | 1971 in Canada | 1974 in Canada | 1975 in Canada | 1982 in Canada | 1983 in Canada | 1984 in Canada | 1988 Canadian election | 1993 Canadian election | 1997 Canadian election | 1997 in Canada | 1999 in Canada | 1 E11 m2 | 1 E11 m² | 1 September | 1e11 m2 | 1st September | 2000 Canadian election | 2003 in politics | 2004 Canadian election | Aberdeen, Saskatchewan | Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey | Albert Henry George Grey, 4th Earl Grey | Alberta | Alistair MacLeod | Antilocapridae | Athabasca Tar Sands | B.C. Liberal Party | BC Liberal Party | Battleford | Battleford, Saskatchewan | Bernie Federko | Biggar, Saskatchewan | British America/History | British colonization of the Americas | Buffy Sainte-Marie | CAia | Canada | Canada/Geography | Canada/Government | Canada/Provinces and territories | Canadian | Canadian Confederation | Canadian Hockey League | Canadian House of Commons | Canadian Politics in 1975 | Canadian Politics in 1978 | Canadian Politics in 1982 | Canadian Politics in 1983 | Canadian Politics in 2003 | Canadian Reform Party | Canadian Senate | Canadian Shield | Canadian Statutory Holiday | Canadian federal election, 1921 | Canadian federal election, 1988 | Canadian federal election, 1993 | Canadian federal election, 1997 | Canadian federal election, 2000 | Canadian federal election, 2004 | Canadian federal election results since 1867 | Canadian political parties | Canadian politics | Canadian prairies | Canadian province | Canadian provinces | Canadian provinces and territories | Carlea, Saskatchewan | Carrot | Census division statistics of Canada | Charlottetown Accord | Churchill River | Co-operative Commonwealth Federation | Coat of Arms of Canada | Coat of Arms of Saskatchewan | Coleville, Saskatchewan | Communities of the Province of Saskatchewan, Canada | Confederation of Canada | Confederation of Regions Party | Confederation of Regions Party of Canada | Cooperative Commonwealth Federation | Corner Gas | County | County statistics of Canada ...
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