Alberta

Alberta is a western Canadian province celebrated for the Rocky Mountains, vast prairies and an economy built on energy. Its capital is Edmonton, while Calgary is the largest city. Home to Banff and Jasper national parks, it combines stunning mountain scenery with a strong frontier spirit.

Alberta rises from rolling prairies and badlands in the east and south to the foothills and peaks of the Canadian Rockies along its western border, where glacial lakes and national parks draw millions. The climate is continental, with cold winters often broken by warm chinook winds.

Alberta has a distinctive Western culture, epitomised by the Calgary Stampede, one of the world's largest rodeos, alongside ranching traditions and a booming, entrepreneurial energy sector. It pairs cosmopolitan cities with deep outdoor recreation.

Home to the Blackfoot, Cree and other First Nations, the region was a center of the fur trade and ranching before joining Canada as a province in 1905. The discovery of oil in 1947 and later the oil sands transformed it into an energy powerhouse.