Stretching from the Northwest Territories to Montana in the south, flanked by the Rocky Mountains in the west and Saskatchewan in the east, Alberta is a big, beautiful, empty chunk of North America. At 661,188 sq. km (255,286 sq. miles), the province has just over 3 million inhabitants.
Culturally, Alberta is a beguiling mix of big-city swagger and affluence and rural Canadian sincerity. Its cities, Calgary and Edmonton, are models of modern civic pride and hospitality; in fact, a behavioral survey recently named Edmonton Canada's friendliest city.
Early settlers came to Alberta for its wealth of furs; the Hudson's Bay Company established Edmonton House on the North Saskatchewan River in 1795. The Blackfeet, one of the West's most formidable Indian nations, maintained control of the prairies until the 1870s, when the Northwest Mounted Police arrived to enforce the white man's version of law and order. Open-range cattle ranching prospered on the rich grasslands, and agriculture is still the basis of the rural Alberta economy. Vast oil reserves were discovered in the 1960s, introducing a tremendous 40-year boom.
More than half the population lives in Edmonton and Calgary, leaving the rest of the province a tremendous amount of breathing room and unspoiled scenery. The Canadian Rockies rise to the west of the prairies and contain some of the finest mountain scenery on earth. Between them, Banff and Jasper national parks preserve much of this mountain beauty, but vast and equally spectacular regions of the Rockies, as well as portions of the nearby Columbia and Selkirk mountain ranges in British Columbia, are protected by other national and provincial parks.
All this wilderness makes outdoor activity Alberta's greatest draw. Hiking, biking, and pack trips on horseback have long pedigrees in the parks, as does superlative skiing -- the Winter Olympics were held in Calgary in 1988. Outfitters throughout the region offer white-water and float trips on mighty rivers; and calmer pursuits such as fishing and canoeing are also popular.
In addition, some of Canada's finest and most famous hotels are in Alberta. The incredible mountain lodges and châteaux built by early rail entrepreneurs are still in operation, offering unforgettable experiences in luxury and stunning scenery. These grand hotels established a standard of hospitality that's observed by hoteliers across the province. If you want a more rural experience, head to one of Alberta's many guest ranches, where you can saddle up, poke some doggies, and enjoy a steak barbecue.
