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CLIMATIC

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Originally appearing in Volume V01, Page 502 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CLIMATIC TABLE See also:

Climate. Places. Above the Mean See also:Sea. See also:Winter Temp. (A) Moderate and See also:Medicine See also:Hat, See also:lat. 2171 ft. 14'3° F. changeable 5o° N. 3421 „ 15.4° See also:Calgary, lat. 51 ° 4515 „ 15'9° See also:Banff, lat. 512° (B) Steady • . See also:Edmonton, lat.

531° 2210 „ 10.3° (C) Severe Fort See also:

Chipewyan, lat. 600 „ 7.2° „ 59° N. Climate (A) allows, in what is a See also:great ranching See also:district, See also:cattle and horses to run at large through the whole winter. Through the See also:mountain passes come at times dry winds from the Pacific See also:coast, which lick up the See also:snow in a few See also:hours. These winds are known as See also:Chinook winds. While elevating the temperature they bring more moisture into the See also:air and produce a See also:change not entirely desirable. Climate (B) is the steady winter climate of Edmonton district. This while averaging a See also:lower temperature than (A) is not so subject to change; it retains the snow for sleighing, which is a boon to the See also:farmer. This climate is much less influenced by the Pacific winds than (A). Climate (C), that of Fort Chipewyan, having a mean winter temperature of 22.6° lower than Calgary, is a decidedly sub-See also:arctic climate. It is the region in winter of See also:constant See also:ice and snow, but its lower See also:altitude gives it a summer climate with a mean temperature of only 1.6° less than Calgary, and 1.8° less than Edmonton. It will thus be seen that the agricultural capabilities of the See also:Athabasca and See also:Peace See also:river districts, not yet fully known, are full of promise.

See also:

Fauna.—The three climatic regions of See also:Alberta have naturally a varying fauna. The See also:south and central region was the See also:land of the bison, its See also:grasses affording a great pasture ground for tens of thousands of " buffaloes.” They were destroyed by whites and See also:Indians in 1879–1882 on the approach of the See also:Canadian Pacific railway. Grizzly, See also:black and See also:cinnamon bears are found in the mountains and wooded districts. The See also:coyote or small See also:wolf, here and there the See also:grey wolf, the See also:fox and the mountain See also:lion (See also:panther) occur. The See also:moose and red See also:deer are found in the wooded regions, and the See also:jumping deer and See also:antelope on the prairies. - See also:Wild See also:sheep and goats live in the Rocky Mountains. The See also:lynx, See also:wolverine, See also:porcupine, See also:skunk, See also:hare, See also:squirrel and See also:mouse are met. The See also:gopher is a See also:resident of the dry plains. District (C) is the See also:fur-trader's 4' See also:yogi/ ooi// <a«woerLe[wm IslLand 9 . aAnn - ~~ on L• n ne• S See also:ath o TO. ,40 See also:Bight .. ,J , See also:Pigeon weep._ 9'.

See also:

Buck See also:Gull V.” °rtjefl. as~ .~C•. ffa 'Pb - b Stealer' , Bulb,- See also:Sou ouy* rl an'Kt k©atrfaN;`~,:y Dou/ aund~na See also:Hill ALBERTA See also:English See also:Miles ° 5. too Raileays „-.. Canals +•-r See also:Grand See also:Trunk Pacific R °T P'n t+t~” { adia Mf Butd H c. ct •ri•ge titling EtziNotn ' ®as Coulee. akaegi See also:Milk B. bisknu, Lakes Pt.vtYtna+on ake affa cad s See also:paradise. The See also:buffalo is replaced by the mountain buffaloes, of which a few survive. The See also:musk-ox comes in thousands every See also:year to the great See also:northern lakes, while the See also:mink, See also:marten, See also:beaver, See also:otter, See also:ermine and musk-See also:rat are sought by the fur-trader. Fort Chipewyan was See also:long known in See also:Hudson's See also:Bay See also:Company See also:history as the great See also:depot of the See also:Mackenzie river district. Northern Alberta and the region farther See also:north is the nesting-ground of the migratory birds. Here vast See also:numbers of ducks, geese, swans and pelicans resort every year. See also:Cranes, partridges and varieties of singing birds abound. The See also:eagle, See also:hawk, See also:owl and See also:crow are plentiful.

Mosquitoes and flies are everywhere, and the See also:

wasp and wild See also:bee also. In the See also:rivers and lakes See also:pike, pickerel, See also:white See also:fish and See also:sturgeon See also:supply See also:food for the natives, and the See also:brook See also:trout is found in the small mountain streams. The turtle and See also:frog also appear. See also:Flora.—In central and northern Alberta the opening See also:spring brings in the See also:prairie See also:anemone, the avens and other See also:early See also:flowers. The advancing summer introduces many flowers of the See also:sunflower See also:family, until in See also:August the plains are one See also:blaze of ,yellow and See also:purple. The See also:southern See also:part of Alberta is covered by a See also:short grass, very nutritive, but drying up in the See also:middle of summer until the whole prairie is See also:brown and unattractive. The trees in the wooded sections of the See also:province are seen in clumps and belts on the hill-sides. These are largely See also:deciduous. On the north See also:side of the See also:Saskatchewan river forests prevail for scores and even hundreds of miles. They contain the See also:poplar or See also:aspen (Populus tremuloides), See also:balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera), and See also:paper or See also:canoe See also:birch (Betula papyrifera). The Coniferae are found northward and in the mountain valleys. Some of these are: See also:Jack See also:pine (Pinus Banksiana), Rocky Mountain pine (Pinus flexilis), black pine (Pinus Murrayana), white spruce (Picea See also:elba), black spruce (Picea See also:nigra), Engelman's spruce (Picea Engelmanni), mountain balsam (Abies subalpina), See also:Douglas See also:fir (Pseudotsuga Douglesii), mountain See also:larch (Larix Lyallis).

See also:

Population.—By the See also:census of Igo6 the population of Alberta was found to be 185,412. It has grown from 73,022 in 190I (the See also:area of Alberta being then slightly different). The basis of the population is Canadian, and the See also:immigration has been chiefly from (I) the See also:British Isles, (2) See also:United States, (3) See also:continent of See also:Europe (chiefly See also:Austria, See also:Hungary and See also:Russia). Of the population in 19o1, 17,245 had immigrated thither from the three mentioned See also:sources. The following table shows the percentages of origins: 190I. Canadian and native See also:born 54 % The British Isles 6.8 % United States . 16.6 % Continent of Europe 24'4 % Of the See also:Indian and Indian See also:half-breed population there were in 1901, 14,669 of the former and 11,635 of the latter. The Indians of central Alberta are chiefly See also:plain Crees, a tribe of See also:Algonquin stock. In southern Alberta are several thousands of Indians on reserves south and See also:west of Calgary, consisting of the Blackfoots of Algonquin stock, Sarcees, Piegans and a few Assiniboins. The See also:chief cities and towns of Alberta are Edmonton (11,167), Calgary (11,967), Medicine Hat (3020), Lethbridge (2948) and Strathcona (2927). See also:Industries.— The chief industries of the See also:people are farming and ranching. Cattle, horses and sheep are largely reared in the southern prairie region on ranches or smaller holdings.

In this region See also:

irrigation is widely used. Red winter See also:wheat is now produced to a considerable degree. In the See also:town of See also:Raymond is a large See also:beet See also:sugar manufactory, and in the vicinity great quantities of See also:beets are grown by irrigation. In central Alberta coarse grains—oats and barley—and some wheat are grown, in See also:conjunction with mixed farming. While washing out the sands of the North Saskatchewan for See also:gold is still somewhat resorted to, the only real See also:mining in Alberta is that for See also:coal. Vast beds of coal are found extending for hundreds of miles, a short distance below the See also:surface of the plains. The coal belongs to the Cretaceous beds, and while not so heavy as that of the Coal See also:Measures is of excellent quality. In the valley of the See also:Bow river, alongside the Canadian Pacific railway, valuable beds of See also:anthracite coal See also:axe worked,; and the coal is carried by railway as far See also:east as See also:Winnipeg. The usual coal deposits of Alberta are of bituminous or semi-bituminous coal. These are largely worked at Lethbridge in southern Alberta and Edmonton in the centre of the province. Many other parts of the province have pits for private use. The Athabasca river region, as well as localities far north on the Mackenzie river, has decided indications of See also:petroleum, though it is not yet See also:developed.

Natural See also:

gas has been found at several points. The most notable gas See also:discovery is that at Medicine Hat, which has See also:wells with unlimited quantities. The gas is excellent, is used for See also:lighting the town, supplies See also:light and See also:fuel for the people, and a number of industries are using the gas for manufacturing. Communications.—For transportation the North Saskatchewan is to some extent depended on for carrying See also:freight by steamboats, but See also:railways are widespread in the province. The Canadian Pacific railway has its See also:main See also:line See also:running from east to west chiefly between 50 and 510 N. Over this line passes an enormous See also:trade from the, See also:Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean—the railway with its "Empress " steamers on the Pacific and also on the Atlantic Ocean claiming to have as its termini See also:Liverpool and See also:Yokohama. A See also:branch line of the Canadian Pacific railway runs from Medicine Hat between 490 and 500 N., passing through the Crow's See also:Nest Pass of the Rocky Mountains and carrying on trade with British See also:Columbia. Another branch from Calgary runs southward to See also:Macleod, and to Lethbridge there comes from the south a branch of the Great Northern railway of the United States, connecting with the See also:state of See also:Montana. From Calgary to Edmonton north-See also:ward runs a line under the See also:control of the Canadian Pacific railway. From this railway also run, eastward from Lacombe and Wetaskiwin, branch lines to See also:complete the See also:system. In 1906 the new line of the Canadian Northern railway was opened, connecting Winnipeg, See also:I000 m. to the east, along the North Saskatchewan river, with Edmonton. The Grand Trunk Pacific railway, backed by the Canadian See also:government, forms a new transcontinental line; the prairie See also:section from Winnipeg to Edmonton was in 1908 under See also:contract.

See also:

Administration, &°c.—The See also:local government of Alberta is carried on by a provincial organization resembling that of the other Canadian provinces. The See also:capital of the province is Edmonton, and here reside the See also:lieutenant-See also:governor and See also:cabinet. The legislature consists of one house—the Legislative Assembly—of twenty-five members. Responsible government after the British See also:model is followed, and the See also:revenue is chiefly derived from grants from the Dominion government. Alberta has a system of-municipal government similar to that of the other provinces. See also:Education is given by a public-school system, which, while nominally providing for See also:separate See also:schools for Catholics and Protestants, makes it practically impossible at most points to carry on such schools. A normal school is situated at Calgary. There is a See also:college for secondary education in Calgary and another in Edmonton. The following are the leading denominations in Alberta:-, 1901. See also:Roman Catholics x2,957 Presbyterians 10,655 Methodists 9,623 See also:Church of See also:England 8,888 See also:Lutherans . . 5,810 See also:Greek Church . 4,618 See also:Mormons 3,212 See also:Baptists 2,722 The Mormons of Alberta are in the most southerly part of the province, and are a See also:colony from the Mormon settlements in See also:Utah, U.S.

On coming to See also:

Canada they were given lands by, the Dominion of Canada. The organization adopted in Utah among the Mormons is found also in Alberta, but the Canadian Mormons profess to have received a later See also:revelation condemning See also:polygamy. History.—The See also:present province of Alberta as far north as the height of land (53° N.) was from the, See also:time of the, See also:incorporation of the Hudson's Bay Company (167o) a part of See also:Rupert's Land. After the discovery of the north-west by the See also:French in 1731 and succeeding years the prairies of the west were occupied by, them, and Fort La Jonquiere was established near the present See also:city of Calgary (1752). The North-West Company of See also:Montreal occupied the northern part of Alberta district before the Hudson's Bay Company succeeded in coming from Hudson Bay to take See also:possession of it. The first hold of the Athabasca region was gained by See also:Peter See also:Pond, who, on behalf of the North-West Company of Montreal, built Fort Athabasca on river La Biche in 1778. See also:Roderick Mackenzie, See also:cousin of See also:Sir See also:Alexander Mackenzie, built Fort Chipewyan on See also:Lake Athabasca in 1788. By way of the North Saskatchewan river Alexander Mackenzie crossed the height of land, and proceeding northward discovered the river which bears his name, and also the Arctic Sea. Afterward going westward from Lake Athabasca and through the Peace river, he reached the Pacific Ocean, being the first white See also:man to See also:cross the North See also:American continent, north of See also:Mexico. As part of the North-West Territories the district of Alberta was organized in 1875. Additional privileges and a local legislature were added from time to time. At length in 1905 the district of Alberta was enlarged and the present province formed by the Dominion See also:parliament.

(G.

End of Article: CLIMATIC

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CLIMAX, JOHN (c. 525–600 A.D.)

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