Geography of Saskatchewan

Geography of Saskatchewan

Continent	America
Region	North America Western Canada
Coordinates	49°00′00″N 101°21′41″W -- 60°00′N 110°00′W
Area
• Total	651,900 km2 (251,700 sq mi)
• Land	90.8%
• Water	9.2%
Coastline	0 km (0 mi)
Borders	Total land borders: U.S. states North Dakota; Canadian provinces Alberta, Manitoba and Northwest Territories
Highest point	Cypress Hills 1,468 metres (4,816 ft)
Lowest point	Lake Athabasca shoreline
Longest river	Saskatchewan River
Largest lake	Lake Athabasca 7935 km²

File:Parkland near Saskatoon.JPG

Grain field in the aspen parkland near Saskatoon

The geography of Saskatchewan (suskăch'uwun, –wän", săs"–), province (2001 pop. 978,933), 251,700 sq mi (651,900 km²), describes the land formations and physical features of this prairie province in western Canada. The various geographical branches provide an analysis of natural and human area studies. The changes of either the natural or human in an area will force an adaptation of evolution in relation to the various ecozones and terrain features. The physical land area is described by political boundaries which have changed through history. Cultural and technological changes have affected the adaptation of the human lifestyle with the regional environmental area throughout the history of Saskatchewan.

The name "Saskatchewan" is derived from the Cree word "kisiskaciwan" that means "swift flowing water" referring to the South Saskatchewan river which served as a major waterway in the eighteenth century by European explorers and fur traders. As a plains region, with the Central Lowlands to the south and wooded country in the north, it supports rich and varied wildlife, or zoogeography. The northern third is part of the Canadian Shield whereas the southwestern triangle is part of the Great Plains. Its principal rivers are the North and South Saskatchewan, the Churchill River, and the Qu'Appelle River. Moreover, between the Saskatchewan and Churchill rivers, locates a mixed forest belt that produces much timber. A sector of which is preserved as Prince Albert National Park. Saskatchewan's economy can be described as oil, gas, potash production, grains,coal, and livestock. Saskatchewan is surrounded, to the north in 1905 by the Provisional District of Mackenzie which later became the Northwest Territories, to the east by Manitoba, to the south by the United States' Montana, and to the west by Alberta.

The Cree Indians inhabited the plains and parkland region about five thousand years ago, living a first nation’s tribal lifestyle where the men followed the movement of bison livestock — a form of transhumance — and the women and children remained at home engaged in hunting and gathering activities. The Dene or caribou hunter resided in the northern Canadian Shield area. The Hudson's Bay Company controlled the area named Rupert's Land beginning in 1670. The French established settlements in the region c. 1750, though the Hudson’s Bay Company made the first permanent settlement in 1774. The Hudson’s Bay Co. ceded Rupert’s land in 1869, and by 1870, the North West became a member of the Dominion of Canada as a part of the Northwest Territories. From 1882 into the early 1900s, the extension of the railroad brought in large numbers of European settlers, as well during this period the bison virtually became extinct. The province was established in 1905. The biogeography of Saskatchewan's ecozones saw the development of agriculture science as plant cultivation combined with pastoralism or ranching settlements sprang up. Technological advancements resulted in the departure from subsistence techniques towards industrial agriculture and cash crops. As labour from the rural agricultural sector was not as intensive because of mechanization, other urban sectors have been developed such as business and market economic geographies as well as mineral economic geographies. Regina stands as its second largest city and capital.

Historical geography

Original peoples of the Saskatchewan consist of three linguistics groups: the Athabascan, Algonquian, and Siouan. Henry Kelsey of the Hudson's Bay Company is considered the first European person to see this area. the earliest trading posts were made by the French; however, the first permanent settlement was established at Cumberland House in 1774 by the HBC. In addition, several more ports were set up by British fur traders among the area's waterways. Settlement was favoured in the forested area of the Canadian Shield, and hunting/ trapping was the main economy.

In 1870, the Hudson Bay's Company (HBC) had combined with the North West Company in 1821, and then ceded its rights from the Canadian government. The region became a part of the Northwest Territories. The majority of the Canadians of the indigenous descent in the Northwest Territories sold their lands to the government in the 1870s and was settled on reservations. Additional native peoples and Métis (people of mixed French and indigenous Canadian ancestry), led by Louis Riel rebelled between 1884 and 1885 and were suppressed.

The arrival of settlements and the rail lines also brought agricultural economies and development in the Central Lowlands Area. The Great Plains or Palliser Triangle area to the south was mainly used for ranching economies. In the beginning of the 20th century, Saskatchewan farmers created cooperative organizations to maintain grain marketization. During the drought and depression of the 1930s, the population decreased as immigration nearly ended and numerous families left. During World War II, conservation programs and the increased demand for grain survived the economy.

Climate

View of Winter in the Qu'Appelle Valley

1912 Regina Cyclone after-effects

Carrot River spring flooding

Saskatchewan SUCK MY COCK!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5 years beginning in Manitoba in 1896, the entire territory of Saskatchewan and Alberta in 1906 and expanded to the rest of Canada in 1951. The census was conducted simultaneously, the population census began in 1951.

Business and markets

The total market value of Saskatchewan's farms estimated in 2001 was $33,463,911,487 in 2001 compared to the amount of $196,868,929,481 for all of Canada. Between 1995 and 2000, the cost farmer's received for their products declined by 4.6%, while the prices they paid for expenses such as fuel and fertilizer increased by 10%. In 2000, a farmer must spend 87 cents in order to make a dollar in farm gross receipts. Total farm gross receipts nationally were $38.3 billion in 2000, while operating expenses made $33.2 billion.

Farms and people

In 1941, the census showed 732,832 farms in Canada, the most farms since settlement began. Since then, the amount have been in decline steadily and are becoming greater. The 2001 census counted 246,923 farms for Canada, below 10.7% from 1996. In Saskatchewan the decline was 11.2%. The average Canadian farm grew by 11.2% larger, growing from 608 acres (2.5 km²) to 676 acres (2.7 km²) from 1996 to 2001. In 1996, the average farm size in Saskatchewan was 1,152 acres (5 km²). As the farm population continued to declined, in 1996 only 14% of the Province's population lived on a farm.

Number of farmers

	2001	1996	1991
Saskatchewan	50,598	56,995	60,840
Canada	246,923	276,548	280,043

Most farms were grain and oilseed, however, the trend is to diversify with speciality crops and animals.

Land and crops

Durum Wheat crop

Nationally, 89.9 million acres (364,000 km²) of land was chop production in 2001.

Wheat still was Canada's largest crop with 26.8 million acres (108,000 km²) but the area has declined steadily since 1996 as more land was placed into pasture and fodder to support larger domestic animal populations. Several droughts also have helped to the decline of wheat production. Saskatchewan had shown a decline in 23.1% in area of land seeded wheat since the previous census. Oilseeds, pulses and speciality crops continued to increase as farmers diversified their crop production.

Livestock

Since 1996 and 2001 census showed that livestock numbers have increased to record levels cattle: up by 4.4%, pigs by 26.4%, and sheep by 46%. Beef cow numbers rose to 15.6 million head nationally. Saskatchewan had approximately 20% of the national herd with Alberta dominating at 43%.

At the turn of the century, the early 1900s saw settlers who needed to import their butter. By the roaring twenties dairy production in Saskatchewan not only filled domestic needs, but Saskatchewan dairy farmers were able to export to Britain. There were just more than 13.6% less dairy cows since 1996. There was an even bigger decline of 29.2% in the number of farms with dairy cows.

Albeit dairy cow numbers have been constantly declining, milk production, it had remained fairly constant. Increased production per dairy cow, has been achieved by improved breeding, feeding and milking methods, including a growth of three milkings per day from the traditional two by some operations.

The amount of hogs in Canada increased to 26.4% to a record 13.9 million, as farmers responded to strong export markets for live hogs and pork products. More than 5000 small big producers were leaving production since 1996. Hog Production, then dominated by large corporate enterprises. There in fact is more hogs than people.

There were 126.2 million hens and chickens in Canada in 2001: about 60% of them in Ontario and Quebec. For flock, 69% were raised for meat the rest for laying hens and pullets. The outreach was fueled by an increased demand for eggs (16 dozen per capita each year).

Over 1.3 million sheep were now on Canadian farms, an increase of over 50% from 1996 and much below the peak of 3.6 million in 1931. The sheep mainly were bred for meat production instead of wool. Lamb and mutton was very popular for ethnic production, specifically in the Toronto area.

Crops

According to the 2001 census the number of farms in Saskatchewan (50, 598) declined by 11.2% from the amounts reported from the prior census in 1996. Farms were fewer by 24.8 % a decade ago. In 1936, about seven decades ago the highest census for farms occurred and the number was 142,391.

Saskatchewan accounts for 20% of all Canadian farmers and has the largest farms with an average farm size of 1283 acres (up from 1,152 acres (5 km²) in the last census). The province had nearly 40% of the agricultural land in Canada, nearly 13 million acres (53,000 km²) more than second-place Alberta.

About 64.9 million acres (263,000 km²) of the province is farmland. Thirty-eight million acres (154,000 km²) were cropped in 2001.

Distribution of farmland:

1. Cropped: 38 million acres (154,000 km²)
2. Summer fallow: 7.7 million acres (31,000 km²)
3. Tame (seeded) pasture: 3.5 million acres (14,000 km²)
4. Natural pasture: 12.7 million acres (51,000 km²)
5. Other: 3.0 million acres (12,000 km²)

Spring wheat still dominated the prairie landscape, though the crop is losing ground to oilseeds and specialty crops.

The five major crops in 2001 were:

1. Spring wheat (10.7 million acres)
2. Barley (4.7 million acres)
3. Durum wheat (4.6 million acres)
4. Canola (4.3 million acres)
5. Alfalfa/alfalfa mixtures (2.8 million acres)

The numbers of large animals for 2001 were:

1. Cattle and calves (2.9 million)
2. Sheep and lambs (149,000)
3. Pigs (1.1 million)
4. Other animals (184,000)

The province also supported a large poultry industry with 9.7 million birds.

Farm Cash receipts for 2001
Farm Cash receipts accumulated to over $5.8 billion in 2001. Wheat accounted for 26% of the total and cattle 19%. Canola was the most significant crop after wheat and the pulse percentage and speciality crops were increasing. Dairy making continued in decline, while hog production was increasing.

Saskatchewan (GPD) (2002)
In 2002, Agriculture, fishing, and hunting accumulated for 6% of the Province's $28.1 billion GPD. The importance of agriculture however laid in the provinces exports. Without exports Saskatchewan would have the economy of a third world country. More than 73% of the GPD came from exports of goods and services.

Agriculture-food exports
Saskatchewan exported $4,152.2 million of agriculture and food products in 2000 making 32% of the total exports ($12,950.6 million). Agriculture and Food Products were declining majority as a contributor to exports (i.e. in 1997 over 50% of exports were agricultural). The USA, Japan, EU, and China dominated the list for 50% of their Agriculture-Food exports. The USA alone accounted for 23%.

Economic overview

Excluding a semi-arid area of the southwest used for grazing and the area in the east and central portion used for mixed farming and dairying, the land is dedicated to raising hard wheat. Saskatchewan usually produces ⅔s of Canada's wheat. The vast extensions of unbroken plain are well-suited to large-scale mechanized farming. Oats, barley, rye, rapeseed, and flax are also grown throughout the year. The historic process of fur trapping is still practiced.

Saskatchewan is rich in minerals. Oil and natural gas found beneath the prairie, prove to be one of the province's most important minerals. The area north of Lake Athabaska has been exploited for ores yielding uranium. The Flin Flon greenstone belt, a Paleoproterozoic greenstone belt around Flin Flon, in the northeast, is mined for copper, gold, and zinc. In the southwest, coal is mined. Potash mining began in the 1950s near Saskatoon and Esterhazy, and Canada is currently a leading producer of the mineral. The majority of the province's industries process raw materials.

Additional information

• Motto: Multis E Gentibus Vires (From many peoples strength)
• Saskatchewan is Canada’s fifth-largest province and has 44% of Canada’s farmland.
• Saskatchewan’s land mass is nearly 1/3 Precambrian rock; 1/3 agricultural land; 23% commercial forest and 12% lakes and rivers
• Shield: authorized by Royal Warrant of King Edward VII, 25 August 1906
• Coat of Arms: This is a crest, supporters, and motto was officially added to the Shield of Arms on 16 September 1986. It is an augmentation of the original Shield of Arms adopted by Royal Warrant of King Edward VII in 1906. It has a lion and a deer on it. The shield displays the royal lion and the three gold sheaves, that symbolize Saskatchewan agriculture.
• Flag: The green upper half represents the northern, the largely forested area of the province; the gold on the lower half represents the southern, the largely grain growing area. The flag is formally adopted in 1969.
• The state flower is a western red lily, lilium philadelphicum var. andinum, selected 1941
• The state bird is sharp-tailed grouse, pedioectes phasianellus jamesi, chosen in 1945.
• The state tree is white birch, betula papyrifera; chosen in 1988
• Mammal: White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, selected in 1988
• Provincial colours: green and gold

Weather

• Coldest recorded temperature: -57 °C at Prince Albert, 1 February 1893
• Hottest recorded temperature: 45 °C at Yellow Grass and Midale, 5 July 1937
• Average annual percentage of daylight with bright sunshine: 53.3
• Highest number of hours, bright sunshine: 2,701 at Estevan, 1980

See also

• The Saskatchewan Act
• Monarchy in Saskatchewan
• District of Assiniboia
• List of cities in Canada
• List of airports in Saskatchewan
• List of Saskatchewan general elections
• List of Saskatchewan lieutenant-governors
• List of Saskatchewan premiers
• List of Leaders of the Opposition in Saskatchewan
• List of communities in Saskatchewan
• List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols
• List of Saskatchewan rivers
• Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
• List of rural municipalities in Saskatchewan
• Saskatchewan Film and Video Classification Board
• Scouting in Saskatchewan