Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

during breeding season. Most types fly

over the South Pacific, Indian, and

South Atlantic oceans. A few types fly

over the North Pacific Ocean. Albatrosses

breed and nest on islands.

Albatrosses are among the largest flying

birds. They can weigh as much as 25

pounds (11 kilograms). The wingspan of

the wandering albatross may be more

than 11 feet (3 meters)—longer than

that of any other living bird. An albatross

has a big head, a hooked bill, and

webbed toes. Most adult albatrosses have

white body feathers with black, brown,

or white wing feathers. A few types have

brown feathers all over.

Albatrosses can soar on air currents for

hours without flapping their wings. But

they have difficulty flying in calm air.

Albatrosses eat mainly squid and sometimes

fish. They also eat food scraps cast

off by passing ships.

#More to explore

Bird

The wings of a black-browed albatross can

measure more than 7 feet (2.1 meters) from

tip to tip.

68 Albatross BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Alberta

The province of Alberta in western

Canada is one of the country’s three

Prairie Provinces, but it is known for its

minerals as well as its crops. The province

was named after Princess Louise

Caroline Alberta, a daughter of Queen

Victoria, when Great Britain ruled

Canada. The capital is Edmonton.

Geography

Alberta borders British Columbia on the

west and the Northwest Territories on

the north. To the east is Saskatchewan,

another of the Prairie Provinces. To the

south is the U.S. state of Montana.

Most of Alberta’s land is a flat plain. In

the south the plain is treeless prairie, but

in the north it is forested. The province

is dotted with many lakes, especially in

the north. In the southwestern part of

Alberta are the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

The scenic Banff and Jasper

national parks lie in the

Rockies.

People

People with English, Scottish, or Irish

ancestors make up the largest ethnic

groups in Alberta. Many other residents

have German, French, or Ukrainian

origins. Though Alberta’s American

Indian population is fairly small, the

province has more Metis than any other

province. Metis have a mixed Indian and

European background.

Four of every five people in Alberta live

in cities or towns. The largest cities are

Calgary and Edmonton. Calgary is a

A mountain is reflected in Lake

Louise. The lake is part of Banff

National Park in Alberta.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Alberta 69

 

financial center and a shipping point for

products of the surrounding farms and

ranches. Edmonton is called the Gateway

to the North because it is farther north

than any other large Canadian city. It is a

center of the oil and gas industry. The

University of Alberta is in Edmonton.

Economy

Services, including banking, education,

and health care, make up the biggest

part of Alberta’s economy. The province’s

spectacular mountain scenery

attracts many visitors and makes tourism

a leading service industry. Alberta’s

single largest industry, however, is

energy production. The province produces

half of Canada’s oil and most of

its natural gas. Alberta also mines almost

half the coal produced in Canada.

Refined oil and chemicals made from oil

and natural gas are among the leading

manufactured products. Food and wood

products are also important.

Alberta’s leading crop is wheat. Alberta’s

farms also produce barley, alfalfa, canola,

and hay. Millions of beef cattle graze on

the grasslands of the province. Farmers

and ranchers also raise sheep, hogs, and

horses.

History

The first American Indians to live in

what is now Alberta arrived about

10,000 years ago. The first Europeans

did not arrive until 1754. They came to

trap animals for their fur and to trade

for furs with the Indians. Employees of

the two main fur-trading companies, the

Hudson’s Bay Company and the North

West Company, explored the region and

built trading posts and forts.

In 1869 the new country of Canada

purchased the Hudson’s Bay Company’s

lands, which included all of what is now

Alberta. Soon the area was opened to

settlers, and many ranchers came.

Alberta was made part of the Northwest

Territories in 1882. Settlement increased

after 1883, when the Canadian Pacific

Railway reached Calgary from the east.

Farmers moved in after new kinds of

wheat were developed that could grow

in the short northern summer. In 1905

the Canadian government made Alberta

a province.

In 1914 oil was discovered at Turner

Valley, near Calgary. In 1947 more oil

was discovered at Leduc, near Edmonton.

Energy production then became

more important than farming in

Alberta.

..More to explore

Canada • Fur Trade • Hudson’s Bay

Company • Rocky Mountains

Calgary is one of the largest cities in

Alberta. It is located in the southern part of

the province.

Facts About

ALBERTA

Flag

Population

(2006 census)

3,290,350

Area

255,541 sq mi

(661,848 sq km)

Capital

Edmonton

Motto

Fortis et Liber

(Strong and Free)

When Alberta

Became a

Province

1905

70 Alberta BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Alchemy

Hundreds of years ago people called

alchemists tried to change lead into

gold. They also tried to make potions

that would allow people to live forever.

Their field of study was called alchemy.