Alberta is the most populous and fastest growing of Canada’s three ‘prairie’ provinces, namely Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is approximately the same size as France or Texas and had, estimated as of January 1, 2012, a population of 3,817,980. It became a province on September 1, 1905, on the same day as Saskatchewan.
It is economically important primarily because of its vast oil reserves, and its large tertiary and quaternary economic sector. Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south. Alberta is one of three Canadian provinces and territories to border only a single U.S. state (the others being New Brunswick and Yukon). It is also one of only two Canadian provinces that are landlocked (the other being Saskatchewan).
The capital city of Alberta is Edmonton, located just south of the centre of the province.
Roughly 300 kilometres (190 mi) south of the capital is Calgary, Alberta’s largest city and a major distribution and transportation hub as well as one of Canada’s major commerce centres.
Edmonton is the primary supply and service hub for Canada’s oil sands and other northern resource industries. According to recent population estimates, these two metropolitan areas have now both exceeded 1 million people.
Alberta is named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1848–1939), the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert. Princess Louise was the wife of the Marquis of Lorne, Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. Lake Louise, the village of Caroline, and Mount Alberta were also named in honour of Princess Louise. Since October 7, 2011, the Premier of the province has been Alison M. Redford, a Progressive Conservative.