The Canadian prairies is a vast area of flat sedimentary land that stretches from Ontario and the Canadian Shield to the Canadian Rockies covering much of the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta - the Prairie Provinces. Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Loyal it began, loyal it remains) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Area 1,076,395 km² (4th)  - Land 917,741 km²  - Water 158,654 km² (14. ... Canadian Shield The Canadian Shield is a large craton in eastern and central Canada and adjacent portions of the United States, composed of bare rock dating to the Precambrian Era (between 4. ... Wilcox Pass The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Glorious and free) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Area 647,797 km² (8th) Land 553,556 km² Water 64,241 km² (14. ... Motto: Multis E Gentibus Vires (From many peoples, strength) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Regina Largest city Saskatoon Lieutenant Governor Lynda M. Haverstock Premier Lorne Calvert (NDP) Area 651,036 km² (7th) Land 591,670 km² Water 59,366 km² (9. ... Motto: Fortis et Liber (Strong and free) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ralph Klein (PC) Area 661,848 km² (6th) Land 642,317 km² Water 19,531 km² (2. ...

The prairies are one of the world's most important farming areas with two of the most important commodities being wheat grown in the southern prairies and beef cattle raised in Alberta. Species T. boeoticum T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 Wheat (Triticum spp. ... Beef is meat obtained from a bovine. ...

Three grassland types occur in prairie Canada: Tallgrass Prairie, Mixed Prairie and Fescue Prairie. Each has a unique geographic distribution and characteristic mix of plant species. All but a fraction of one percent of the Tallgrass Prairie has been converted to cropland. What remains occurs on the 6,000 square kilometre plain centred in the Red River Valley in Manitoba. Mixed Prairie is more common and is part of the dry interior plains that extend from Canada south to Texas. More than half of the remaining native grassland in prairie Canada is Mixed Prairie. Though widespread in southern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta, due to extensive cattle grazing, it is estimated that only 24 percent of the original Mixed Prairie grassland remains. Fescue Prairie occurs in the moister regions, occupying the northern extent of the prairies in central and southwestern Alberta and west central Saskatchewan (see map). The tallgrass prairie is an ecosystem native to central North America. ... The term Red River has the following uses: Rivers Red River of the North, a river that flows northward between North Dakota and Minnesota into Lake Winnipeg, site of the Red River Settlement; also center of the Red River Basin, a historic region of the United States Red River (Mississippi... Prior to 1821, Texas was part of the Spanish colony of New Spain. ...

The southern prairies are extremely arid. One region known as Palliser's Triangle is so arid that farming has never been successful there without government help. The zones around the cities of Regina and Calgary are also very dry. In an average year, southern Saskatchewan receives between 300 mm (12 in) and 510 mm (20 in) of precipitation, with the majority falling between April and June. Frost from October to March limits the growing season. Pallisers Triangle is a geographic area mostly in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. ... Regina, Saskatchewan Regina is the provincial capital of Saskatchewan, Canada and was incorporated as a city on June 19, 1903. ... {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Heart of the new west City of Calgary, Alberta, Canada location. ... Blades of grass coated in frost. ...

The eastern section of the prairies, in Manitoba, is well watered with several large lakes, most notably Lake Winnipeg, and several large rivers. The area also gets reasonable amounts of precipitation. The middle sections of Alberta and Saskatchewan are also wetter than the south and have better farmland, despite having a shorter growing season. The areas around Edmonton and Saskatoon are especially notable as good crop land. Lake Winnipeg (52°N, 92°W) is a large (24 400 km²) lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, at about 55 km north of the city of Winnipeg. ... {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Industry Integrity Progress City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada location. ... For other uses see Saskatoon (disambiguation). ...

Further north the area becomes too cold for most agriculture and is dominated by boreal forest. Taiga (pronounced , from Russian тайга́) is a biome characterized by its coniferous forests. ...

External link

• Grasslands of the Canadian Prairies