Manitoba
|
|
- This article is about the Canadian province. Manitoba is also the former stage name of electronic musician Dan Snaith, who now uses the name Caribou.
Template:Canadian province or territory Manitoba is one of Canada's provinces. It was the fifth province to join Canada (in 1870). Its population as of January 1, 2004 (Statistics Canada) was 1,165,944(Manitobans). It is the easternmost of the three Prairie Provinces.
Its capital and largest city (containing over one half the provincial population) is Winnipeg. Other important cities and towns include Brandon, Thompson, Dauphin, Swan River, Churchill, The Pas, Melita, Selkirk, Portage la Prairie, Flin Flon, Steinbach, Morden, and Winkler.
| Contents |
Geography
Manitoba is located in the longitudinal centre of Canada, although it is considered part of Western Canada. It borders Saskatchewan to the west, Ontario to the east, Nunavut to the north, and the American states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south.
The province has a coast with Hudson Bay, and contains the very large Lakes Winnipeg, Manitoba (its namesake), and Winnipegosis. Important watercourses include the Red River, Assiniboine River, Nelson River, Hayes River and Churchill River.
The Manitoba climate is severe, although the southern latitudes support extensive agriculture. The northern reaches of the province range through coniferous forests, muskeg, and up to tundra in the far north. There is approximately 24,000 square miles of untouched boreal forest on the eastern side of Lake Winnipeg, renowned by naturalists and sportsmen for its pristine wilderness.
Manitoba lies in the path of the Arctic Trough which funnels cold arctic air south during the winter months. This, in conjunction with the relatively unprotected prairie landscape, makes southern Manitoba a harsh climate in which to live during the icy cold, wind swept months from mid-November through much of March. This has resulted in the capital of the province being nicknamed "Winterpeg".
10 Largest Municipalities by population
| Municipality | 2001 | 1996 |
|---|---|---|
| Winnipeg | 619,544 | 618,477 |
| Brandon | 39,716 | 39,175 |
| Thompson | 13,256 | 14,385 |
| Portage la Prairie | 12,976 | 13,077 |
| Springfield | 12,602 | 12,162 |
| Hanover | 10,789 | 9,833 |
| St. Andrews | 10,695 | 10,144 |
| Selkirk | 9,752 | 9,881 |
| Steinbach | 9,227 | 8,478 |
| St. Clements | 9,115 | 8,516 |
History
Manitoba was settled by members of the Ojibwa and Assiniboine tribes. The first European to reach present-day Manitoba was Sir Thomas Button, who visited the Nelson River in 1612. Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, Sieur de la Vérendrye, visited the Red River Valley in the 1730s as part of opening the area for French exploration and exploitation. An important French-Canadian population (Franco-Manitobains) still lives in Manitoba, especially in the Saint-Boniface district of Winnipeg.
The territory was won by Britain in 1763 as part of the French and Indian War, and became part of Rupert's Land, the immense monopoly territory of the Hudson's Bay Company.
The founding of the first agricultural community in 1811 by Lord Selkirk, near modern Winnipeg, resulted in conflict between the white colonists and the Métis who lived near there. Twenty colonists, including the governor, were killed by the Métis in the Battle of Seven Oaks in 1816.
When Rupert's Land was ceded to Canada in 1869 and incorporated into the Northwest Territories, a lack of attention to Métis concerns led their leader Louis Riel to establish a provisional government. Negotiations between this government and the Canadian government resulted in the creation of the province of Manitoba and its entry into Confederation in 1870.
Originally the province was only 1/18 of its current size and square in shape - it was known as the "postage stamp province." It grew progressively, absorbing land from the Northwest Territories until it attained its current size by reaching 60°N in 1912.
Map
See also
- Manitoba Act
- Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
- Provinces and territories of Canada
- Manitoba cabinet ministers
- Manitoba Hydro
- Manitoba Telecom Services
- List of cities in Canada
- List of Manitoba general elections
- List of Manitoba lieutenant-governors
- List of Manitoba premiers
- List of Manitoba regions
- List of communities in Manitoba
- List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols
- Louis Riel
- Republic of Manitoba (1867-68)
- Dominion Land Survey
- Red River Flood, 1997
- Same-sex marriage in Manitoba
- list of rural municipalities in Manitoba
- List of Manitoba School Divisions and Districts
| Provinces and territories of Canada | 
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
External links
- The Manitoba School Question (http://www2.marianopolis.edu/quebechistory/docs/manitoba/index.htm)
- The Manitoba Historical Society (http://www.mhs.mb.ca)da:Manitoba
de:Manitoba et:Manitoba provints es:Manitoba eo:Manitobo fr:Manitoba it:Manitoba he:מניטובה ka:მანიტობა la:Manitoba nl:Manitoba ja:マニトバ州 no:Manitoba pl:Manitoba pt:Manitoba simple:Manitoba sk:Manitoba fi:Manitoba sv:Manitoba vi:Manitoba tr:Manitoba