SASKATCHEWAN

province of Canada, one of the Prairie Provinces. It is one of only two Canadian provinces without a saltwater coast, and it is the only province all of whose boundaries are wholly artificial (i.e., not formed by natural features). It lies between the 49th and 60th parallels of latitude and is bounded on the west by longitude 110 west of Greenwich, and its eastern limit, with minor adjustments, is longitude 102. Its southern half is largely an extension of the Great Plains of central North America, rarely rising 2,000 feet above sea level, and its northern half, most of which lies in the ancient rock mass of the Canadian Shield, is sparsely populated bush country with many lakes and tundra. Its area is 251,866 square miles (652,330 square kilometres), of which 31,518 square miles are water; and it measures 760 miles (1,223 kilometres) from south to north, tapering from a width of 393 miles (where it abuts Montana and North Dakota in the United States) to 277 (where it meets the Northwest Territories). In area, Saskatchewan is Canada's fifth largest province, and in population, its sixth. Economically, the province has always been heavily dependent on the exportation of its agricultural and mineral products and is thus peculiarly sensitive to fluctuations in world markets beyond its own or even Canada's control. province of western Canada, the only Canadian province whose boundaries are wholly artificial. It is bounded by Alberta to the west, Manitoba to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota to the south. Its area is 251,866 square miles (652,330 square km). The capital is Regina, in the central south. The southern half of Saskatchewan is mostly an extension of the Great Plains of central North America. Its northern half, situated on the Canadian Shield, is sparsely populated bush country with many lakes and tundra. Its varied wildlife includes brown bear, moose, deer, antelope, and mountain lion; smaller animals are coyote, fox, lynx, gopher, and rabbit. The province is on the main western flyway of migratory waterfowl, songbirds, hawks, and owls, many of which nest in the province. Cree Indians who inhabited Saskatchewan for at least 5,000 years were hunters of buffalo until contact with Europeans turned them toward the fur trade; their name for one of the region's rivers, Kis-is-ska-tches-wan (Rapid River), has been adopted for the province. In 1691 Henry Kelsey, the first European in the region, explored the plains for the Hudson's Bay Company. In 1868 the land was surrendered by the company to the British crown, and in 1870 it was made part of the newly formed Dominion of Canada. The extension of the Canadian Pacific Railway brought large numbers of European settlers starting in 1882. Subsequently, the second Riel Rebellion, led by Louis Riel, broke out when a large number of Mtis (persons of mostly mixed Indian and European blood) seized the government and sought to establish their rights to western lands. The rebellion was suppressed in 1885 by the Royal North West Mounted Police. The province was created by the Saskatchewan Act of 1905. It was assigned control of its own natural resources in 1930. Rule by various members of the Liberal Party was interrupted from 1944 to 1964, when the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation established the first avowedly socialist government on the North American continent. In 1962 it established the continent's first medical-care program, accompanied by a doctors' strike. The population of British origin is less than 40 percent. Saskatchewan contains many settlements readily identifiable as Ukrainian, French Canadian, German, and of other nationalities including an appreciable number of immigrants from the Far East and India. Ethnic variety is matched by religious affiliation: about one-third of the population adheres to the United Church of Canada. Other religious groups include Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Ukrainian Catholics, and Mennonites. The population growth has been generally slow because of the high emigration rate, which exceeds immigration. The Saskatchewan economy is traditionally based on extractive industries: oil, gas, and potash. Potash is found in a narrow band running diagonally across the province from west to east, while oil and gas are located in the south. There are rich uranium deposits in the north. Salt, sodium sulfite, and a variety of clays are also found. Other important industries are furs and agriculture. The grain belt, made up mainly of wheat but also including large acreages of barley, oats, and rapeseed (canola), lies between the southern border and the 54th parallel of latitude. Manufacturing has played a minor role. Saskatchewan has always demanded a significant amount of government intervention, including a protective tariff, because of its dependence on external markets, a situation caused by the province's inability to consume its own chief products. The transcontinental railroads were important in the settlement of Saskatchewan. They were built with federal support to carry settlers and supplies in and grain out. Freight by rail is still important, but passengers travel now by automobile, bus, and airplane. Saskatchewan's constitution is based on the Saskatchewan Act (of admission) of 1905. The provincial government consists of a unicameral Legislative Assembly, elected every five years by universal adult suffrage. The premier, the leader of the majority party in the assembly, selects the Executive Council, which he heads. The lieutenant governor is appointed by Canada's governor-general to represent the monarch. Senators are appointed by the governor-general of Canada, and members of the House of Commons are popularly elected to represent Saskatchewan in Ottawa. The province administers the judiciary, but all judges above the rank of magistrate are appointed by the federal government. Most of the province is policed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police under a provincial-federal contract. Saskatchewan has three main political parties: the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives, advocating free enterprise and showing strength in rural areas, and the New Democrats, advocating democratic socialism and running strong in the cities. Primary and secondary education is compulsory and free in public and provincially aided, religiously affiliated schools. Kindergarten is optional but nearly universally attended. Vocational and technical training is available at the secondary level. The University of Saskatchewan, established 1907, has large campuses at Regina and Saskatoon and also maintains the Institute of Northern Studies and the Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies at Saskatoon. The Saskatchewan Arts Board, established in 1959, supports drama, art, music, literature, and handicrafts programs, and the university has an art school at the Regina campus. Saskatoon and Regina are noted for their art galleries, which include the works of Paul Kane, who in 1846 visited the region and sketched and painted the Cree Indians, buffalo, and pioneers. Both cities also have symphony orchestras and professional theatres. Regina is the site of the Saskatchewan Museum of Natural History and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Museum. Saskatoon is the site of the Western Development Museum. Many of the towns and villages populated by descendants of German, Ukrainian, Polish, Russian, and Scandinavian settlers have annual festivals with ethnic costumes, music, dance, and food. Pop. (1991) 988,928. Additional reading The most comprehensive sourcebook on the province is J. Howard Richards and K.I. Fung (eds.), Atlas of Saskatchewan (1969). A general description is provided in Edward McCourt, Saskatchewan (1968, reprinted 1977). John H. Archer, Saskatchewan: A History (1980); D.H. Bocking (ed.), Pages from the Past: Essays on Saskatchewan History (1979); and Deanna Christensen and Menno Fieguth, Historic Saskatchewan (1986), offer informative surveys. Current research may be found in Saskatchewan History (3/yr.). Norman Ward