Alberta is a western province of Canada, one of the three prairie provinces, and is bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south. Alberta's capital, Edmonton, is near the geographic centre of the province and is the primary supply and service hub for Canada's crude oil, oil sands and other northern resource industries. About 290km south of the capital is Calgary, the largest city in Alberta.
Most of the northern half of the province is boreal forest, while the Rocky Mountains along the southwestern boundary are largely forested. The southern quarter of the province is prairie, ranging from shortgrass prairie in the southeastern corner to mixed grass prairie in an arc to the west and north of it. The central aspen parkland region contains the most fertile soil in the province and most of the population. The Alberta badlands are located in southeastern, where the Red Deer River crosses the flat prairie and farmland.
With the exception of the semi-arid steppe of the southeastern section, the province has adequate water resources. There are numerous rivers and lakes used for swimming, fishing and a range of water sports. It has a predominantly humid continental climate, with stark contrasts over a year but seasonal temperature average swings are smaller than to areas further east. The four climatic regions (alpine, boreal forest, parkland, and prairie) of Alberta are home to many different species of animals.
About 81% of the population lives in urban areas and only about 19% in rural areas. Many of Alberta's cities and towns have experienced very high rates of growth in recent history. English is the most common mother tongue of Albertans, representing 79.99% of the population. Alberta is the world’s second largest exporter of natural gas and the fourth largest producer. Tourist destinations in the province include Banff, Canmore, Drumheller, Jasper and Sylvan Lake.
About the stamps
The stamps are part of the multi-years series UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Canada.
References
Alberta - Wikipedia
Sender: Angie
Sent from ??? (Alberta / Canada), on 04.08.2014
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