• "Saskatchewan" from the Cree Indian kisiskatchewan, for swift flowing river.

• North and South Saskatchewan make up major river system in the province, with others including the Churchill and Qu’Appelle.

- courtesy USFWS

The whitetail deer, Saskatchewan's provincial animal.

• Bordered on the south by the American states of North Dakota and Montana, on the east and west by sister prairie provinces of Manitoba and Alberta, and up top by the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

• Population just over a million people, three quarters of whom live in urban centres.

• Area is 651,900 sq. kms (251,700 sq. miles), slightly less than that of Texas (270,000 sq. miles).

• Landlocked province with an estimated 100,000 lakes, rivers and streams (12.6 per cent of the area).

• Roughly half of the province is forest.

• Central Standard Time throughout the year - no Daylight Savings.

• July and August are typically dry and warm, with highs in Saskatoon, for instance, of about 25 C (77 F) and lows around 11 C (52 F); winter is typically dry and cold, with December and January highs in Saskatoon of -11 C (12 F) and lows of -21 C (-6 F). (Data from Environment Canada.)

• Canada’s sunniest province - City of Estevan gets an average 2,540 hours of sunshine per year, highest in Canada.

• 12 cities (populations greater than 5,000), 145 towns and 358 villages.

• Capital is Regina (200,000 metro), largest Saskatoon (230,000 metro).

• Governed by parliamentary system of representative government, with appointed Lieutenant Governor representing the Crown and elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) representing the people.

• Province produces 54 per cent of wheat grown in Canada, with other major industries including tourism, petroleum, manufacturing and mining.

The western red lily, Saskatchewan's floral emblem.

• Highest elevation is Cypress Hills, at 1,392 metres (4,566 feet).

• Home of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (training academy at Regina).

• First bird sanctuary in North America established 1887 at Last Mountain Lake (now a National Wildlife Area).

        More Saskatchewan images.

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