Province (pop., 2001: 1,119,583), central Canada.
It is bounded by Nunavut, Hudson Bay, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and by the U.S.; its capital is Winnipeg . Three-fifths of its territory is covered by the Canadian Shield , an area of rocks, forests, and rivers. The region was first inhabited by the Inuit ( Eskimo ) and by the Cree , Assiniboin , and Ojibwa peoples. The Hudson's Bay Co. opened Manitoba to European influence, and the region became a focus of French and British competition for Canadian fur trade dominance; it was ceded by France to Britain in 1763. The Métis rebellion led to the passage of the Manitoba Act in 1870, making it the fifth province of the Dominion of Canada. Steamboat and rail transportation opened the province to settlers from Europe in the late 19th century. Though much of the economy is based on farming, lumbering, and mining, heavy industry has become important to an expanding Winnipeg.