Manitoba is one of Canada's 10 provinces, with a population of 1,182,921 (2007) . It was officially recognized by the Federal Government in 1870 as separate from the Northwest Territories, and became the first Province created from the Territories. It is the easternmost of the three Prairie Provinces. The word "Manitoba" is etymologically related to the native word "manitou" which means spirit.
Its capital and largest city (containing over one half the provincial population) is Winnipeg, with a population of over 600,000. Other cities with more than 10,000 people are Brandon, Thompson, Portage la Prairie, and Steinbach. The province is located just north of Tornado Alley, and is bordered by 2 Canadian Provinces (Saskatchewan, Ontario), and 1 Canadian Territory (Nunavut). A person from Manitoba is called a Manitoban.
Ten largest cities by population 2006:
Winnipeg 641,483
Brandon 41,511
Thompson 13,446
Portage la Prairie 12,773
Steinbach 11,066
Selkirk 9,553
Winkler 9,106
Dauphin 7,906
Morden 6,547
The Pas 5,765
Manitoba is located at the longitudinal centre of Canada, although it is considered to be part of Western Canada. It borders Saskatchewan to the west, Ontario to the east, Nunavut and Hudson Bay to the north, and the American states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south.
The great expanses of intact forested areas are considered by many naturalists and sportsmen as pristine wilderness areas. Some of the last largest and intact boreal forest of the world can be found along the east side of Lake Winnipeg, with only winter roads, no Hydro development, and few largely populated communities. There are many clean and untouched rivers, many that originate from the Canadian Shield in neighbouring Ontario.
Due to its location in the centre of the North American continent, Manitoba has a very extreme climate. In general, temperatures and precipitation decrease from south to north, and precipitation also decreases from east to west. As Manitoba is far removed from the moderating influences of both mountain ranges and large bodies of water (all of Manitoba's large lakes freeze during the winter months), and because of the generally flat landscape in many areas, it is exposed to numerous weather systems throughout the year, including prolonged cold spells in the winter months when Arctic high-pressure air masses settle over the province.
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