Alberta is a western province of Canada . it is Canada’s fourth-most populous province and the most populous of Canada’s three prairie provinces. Its area is about 660,000 square kilometers (250,000 sq mi).
Alberta 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 is one of three Canadian provinces and territories to border only a single U.S. state and one of only two landlocked provinces. It has a predominantly humid continental climate, with stark contrasts over a year; but seasonal temperature average swings are smaller than in areas further east, due to winters being warmed by occasional chinook winds bringing sudden warming.
Alberta’s capital, Edmonton, is near the geographic center of the province and is the primary supply and service hub for Canada’s crude oil, the Athabasca oil sands and other northern resource industries.
Edmonton is famous for being the capital of Alberta and a ‘festival city’ that hosts numerous events annually, including over 50 unique festivals. It’s also known for its large mall, West Edmonton Mall, and the Edmonton Oilers NHL team. Additionally, Edmonton serves as a gateway to Jasper National Park and the Canadian Rockies.
About 290 km (180 mi) south of the capital is Calgary, the largest city in Alberta. Calgary and Edmonton center Alberta’s two census metropolitan areas, both of which have populations exceeding one million, while the province has 16 census agglomerations. Tourist destinations in the province include Banff, Canmore, Drumheller, Jasper and Sylvan Lake.