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The '''Canadian Prairies''' (usually referred to as simply '''the Prairies''' in Canada) is a region in [[Western Canada]]. It includes the Canadian portion of the [[Great Plains]] and the '''Prairie
The prairies in Canada are a [[temperate grassland]] and [[shrubland]] [[biome]] within the [[prairie]] [[ecoregion]] of Canada that consists of [[northern mixed grasslands]] in Alberta, Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, as well as northern short grasslands in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Quiring |first1=S. M |last2=Papakryiakou |first2=T. N. |title=An evaluation of agricultural drought indices for the Canadian prairies |journal=Agricultural and Forest Meteorology |date=2003 |volume=118 |issue=1–2 |pages=49–62|doi=10.1016/S0168-1923(03)00072-8 |bibcode=2003AgFM..118...49Q }}</ref> The [[Prairies Ecozone]] of Canada includes the [[northern tall grasslands]] in southern Manitoba and Aspen parkland, which covers central Alberta, central Saskatchewan, and southern Manitoba.<ref>{{cite web |title=Prairies Ecozone |url=http://www.ecozones.ca/english/zone/Prairies/index.html |website=Ecological Framework of Canada |publisher=Government of Canada |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602234643/http://www.ecozones.ca/english/zone/Prairies/index.html |archive-date=2 June 2016}}</ref> The Prairie starts from north of [[Edmonton]] and it covers the three provinces in a southward-slanting line east to the
== Main climates ==
The core climate of the Canadian prairie region is defined as a semi-[[arid]] climate and is often based upon the [[Köppen climate classification]] system.<ref name=powell>{{cite journal |last1=Powell |first1=J.M |title=Climate Classifications of the Prairie Provinces of Canada |journal=Northern Forest Research Center |date=1978 |url=http://www.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/bookstore_pdfs/23391.pdf}}</ref> This type of classification encompasses five main climate types, with several categoric subtypes based on the precipitation pattern of the [[region]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Köppen climate classification |url=http://hanschen.org/koppen/#classification |website=hanschen.org|date=13 January 2024 }}</ref> The majority of the prairie provinces experience snowy, fully humid [[continental climates]] with cool summers, also known as class Dfc on the Köppen climate scale.<ref name=powell /> The southernmost regions of the prairies tend to experience fully humid continental climates with warm summers, Dfb.<ref name=powell /> A trifling section surrounding the Alberta-Saskatchewan border has been classified as Bsk, semi-cold and [[arid climate]].<ref name=powell />
Precipitation events in the Canadian prairies are very important to study as these locations make up 80% of the country's [[agricultural production]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Agriculture and Food {{!}} The Canadian Encyclopedia |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/agriculture-and-food |website=www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca}}</ref> On average, 454 mm of precipitation falls on the prairies each year.<ref name=mcginn5>{{cite journal |last1=McGinn |first1=Sean |title=Weather and Climate Patterns of Canada's Prairies |journal=Anthropods of Canadian Grasslands |date=2010 |volume=1 |doi=10.3752/9780968932148.ch5 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Out of the three prairie provinces, Saskatchewan obtains the least amount of precipitation annually (395 mm), with Manitoba receiving the most at 486 mm. Most rainfall typically happens in the summer months such as June and July.<ref name=mcginn5 /> With the high humidity of the prairies, tornadoes are likely to occur—marking central [[Saskatchewan]] and southern [[Manitoba]] as high probability areas.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cheng |first1=Vincent Y. S. |last2=Arhonditsis |first2=George B. |last3=Sills |first3=David M. L. |last4=Auld |first4=Heather |last5=Shephard |first5=Mark W. |last6=Gough |first6=William A. |last7=Klaassen |first7=Joan |s2cid=3545698 |title=Probability of Tornado Occurrence across Canada |journal=Journal of Climate |date=19 July 2013 |volume=26 |issue=23 |pages=9415–9428 |doi=10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00093.1 |issn=0894-8755|bibcode=2013JCli...26.9415C |doi-access=free }}</ref> Approximately 72% of [[tornadoes]] in Canada are seen across the prairies<ref>{{cite web |last1=Durage |first1=Samantha |last2=Wirasinghe |first2=S.C |last3=Ruwanpura |first3=Janaka |title=Mitigation of the impact of tornadoes in the Canadian Prairies |url=https://www.crhnet.ca/sites/default/files/library/Samanthi%20-%20CRHNet%202015%20Symposium.pdf |website=Canadian Risk and Hazards Network |publisher=University of Calgary}}</ref> due to the capability of summer thunderstorm precipitation to mechanically mix with the air adjacent to the relatively flat surface of the region.<ref name=mcginn5 />
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{{See also|Geography of Canada}}
Although the Prairie Provinces region is named for the prairies located within Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the physical geography of the three provinces is quite diverse, consisting of portions of the [[Canadian Shield]], the [[North American Cordillera|Western Cordillera]] and the [[Geography of Canada#Canadian Interior Plains|Canadian Interior Plains]].<ref name=baldwin>{{cite journal |last1=Baldwin, D. J., Desloges, J. R., & Band, L. E. |title=Physical geography of Ontario. |date=2000 |issue=Ecology of a managed terrestrial landscape: patterns and processes of forest landscapes in Ontario |pages=12–29}}</ref> The plains comprise both prairies and [[Mid-Continental Canadian forests|forests]] while, with the exception of [[Tundra#Arctic|freshwater]] along the [[Hudson Bay]], the shield is predominantly forested.<ref name=baldwin />
[[file:Gimli Manitoba Canada Panorama.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|[[
|alt=Panorama of city with mixture of five- to ten
=== Prairies ===
Three main grassland types occur in the Canadian prairies: [[tallgrass prairie]], [[mixed grass prairie]], and [[fescue]] prairie (or using the [[World Wide Fund for Nature|WWF]] terminology, [[northern tall grasslands]], [[northern mixed grasslands]], and [[northern short grasslands]]).<ref name=regress>{{cite journal|last1=Williams, G. D. V., Joynt, M. I., & McCormick, P. A. |title=Regression analyses of Canadian prairie crop-district cereal yields, 1961–1972, in relation to weather, soil, and trend. |journal=Canadian Journal of Soil Science |date=1975 |volume=55 |number=1 |pages=43–53|doi=10.4141/cjss75-007 }}</ref> Each has a unique geographic distribution and characteristic mix of plant species. All but a fraction of one per cent of the tallgrass prairie has been converted to cropland.<ref name=gauthier>{{cite journal |last1=Gauthier |first1=David A. |last2=Wiken |first2=Ed B. |journal=Environmental Monitoring and Assessment |date=2003 |volume=88 |issue=1/3 |pages=343–364 |title=Monitoring the Conservation of Grassland Habitats, Prairie Ecozone, Canada |doi=10.1023/A:1025585527169|pmid=14570422 |s2cid=23604851 }}</ref> What remains occurs on the {{convert|6000|km2|abbr=on}} 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 the
[[File:Northern short grasslands map.svg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|The [[northern short grasslands]] (WWF terminology) shown here on a map of North America in green, is a type of true prairie (grassland) that occurs in the southern parts of the Prairie Provinces.]]
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[[File:Palliser's Triangle map.png|thumb|upright=1.15|[[Palliser's Triangle]], delineating prairie soil types in the Prairie provinces]]
The southwestern Canadian prairies, supporting brown and [[Chernozem|black
The zones around the cities of [[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]] and immediately east of [[Calgary]] are also very dry. Most heavy precipitation quickly dissipates by the time it passes [[Cheadle, Alberta|Cheadle]] on its way heading east.<ref name=gregorich /> In an average year, southern Saskatchewan receives between {{convert|30|-|51|cm|abbr=on}} of precipitation, with the majority falling between April and June. Frost from October to April (and sometimes even early May) limits the growing season for certain crops.<ref name=regress />
The eastern section of the Canadian prairies in Manitoba is well watered with several large lakes such as [[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 frost-free season.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Turner |first1=M G |s2cid=44048546 |title=Landscape Ecology: The Effect of Pattern on Process |journal=Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics |date=November 1989 |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=171–197 |doi=10.1146/annurev.es.20.110189.001131}}</ref> The areas around [[Edmonton]] and [[Saskatoon]] are especially notable as good farmland. Both lie in the northern area of the Palliser's Triangle, and are within [[aspen parkland]] a transitional prairie ecozone.<ref name="EFoC">{{cite web|title=Prairies Ecozone|url=http://www.ecozones.ca/english/zone/Prairies/index.html|website=Ecological Framework of Canada|publisher=Government of Canada|access-date=23 May 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602234643/http://www.ecozones.ca/english/zone/Prairies/index.html|archive-date=2 June 2016}}</ref><ref name=wide />
Further north, the area becomes too cold for most agriculture besides [[wild rice]] operations and sheep raising, and it is dominated by [[
{{clear}}
== Demographics ==
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=== Growth ===
Some of the prairie region of Canada has seen rapid growth from a boom in [[Petroleum|oil production]] since the mid-20th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061203.watlanticc1203/BNStory/Business/home |title=Atlantic unemployment tonic: oil sands |website=[[The Globe and Mail]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020064948/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061203.watlanticc1203/BNStory/Business/home |archive-date=2008-10-20}}</ref>
According to StatsCanada, the prairie provinces had a population of
== Economy ==
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The Prairies are distinguished from the rest of Canada by cultural and political traits. The oldest influence on Prairie culture are the [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]], who have inhabited this region for millennia. This region has the highest proportion of [[Indigenous peoples in Canada|Indigenous people in Canada]], outside of the "[[Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories|territories]]." The first Europeans to see the Prairies were [[fur traders]] and explorers from eastern Canada (mainly present-day [[Quebec]]) and [[Great Britain]] via [[Hudson Bay]]. They gave rise to the [[Métis people (Canada)|Métis]], [[working class]] "children of the fur trade."<ref name=atlas />
During their settlement by Europeans, the prairies were settled in distinct ethnic [[block settlement]]s giving areas distinctively [[British Canadians|British]], [[Ukrainian Canadian|Ukrainian]], [[German Canadian|German]], [[French Canadian|French]], or [[
[[File:Badlands Alberta.JPG|thumb|The Alberta [[badlands]]]]
Southern Alberta is renowned for its [[cowboy]] culture, which developed when real [[Ranch#The Open Range|open range ranching]] was practiced in the 1880s.<ref name=atlas /> Canada's first rodeo, the [[Raymond Stampede]], was established in 1902. These influences are also evident in the [[music of Canada's Prairie Provinces]]. This can be attributed partially to the massive influx of American settlers who began to migrate to Alberta (and to a lesser extent, Saskatchewan) in the late 1880s because of the lack of available land in the United States.
The Prairie Provinces have given rise to the "prairie protest" movements. Radical solutions are sometimes considered sound in the more open western culture. Organized Farmer groups and politicized labour
These political movements (both of the left and right) tend to feed off of well established feelings of [[Western alienation]], and each one represents a distinct challenge to the perceived [[Central Canada|Central Canadian]] elite.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peterson |first1=Larry |title=Revolutionary Socialism and Industrial Unrest in the Era of the Winnipeg General Strike: The Origins of Communist Labour Unionism in Europe and North America |journal=Labour / Le Travail |date=1 January 1984 |volume=13 |pages=115–131 |doi=10.2307/25140403 |jstor=25140403 |s2cid=73518869 |url=https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/LLT/article/view/2604 |issn=1911-4842}}</ref>
The Prairies continue to have a wide range of political representation. While the [[Conservative Party of Canada]] has widespread support throughout the region at both federal and provincial levels, the [[New Democratic Party]] holds seats at the provincial level in all three provinces, and takes turns with Conservatives or another right-wing party at provincial government. The NDP holds [[List of House members of the 43rd Parliament of Canada|seats at the federal level]] in Alberta and Manitoba. The [[Liberal Party of Canada]] often holds seats in Alberta and Manitoba; it presently holds four federal seats in Winnipeg, while the [[Manitoba Liberal Party]] holds
== See also ==
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