Saskatchewan

This article is about the Canadian province. For other uses, see Saskatchewan (disambiguation).

Saskatchewan
Province
Flag of Saskatchewan
Flag
Coat of arms of Saskatchewan
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Multis e Gentibus Vires (Latin)[1]
("From Many Peoples, Strength")
Coordinates: 54°00′00″N 106°00′02″W / 54.00000°N 106.00056°W / 54.00000; -106.00056[2]
CountryCanada
Before confederationDistrict of Assiniboia, District of Athabasca, District of Saskatchewan
ConfederationSeptember 1, 1905 (split from NWT) (10th, with Alberta)
CapitalRegina
Largest citySaskatoon
Largest metroGreater Saskatoon
Government
 • TypeParliamentary constitutional monarchy
 • Lieutenant governorRussell Mirasty
 • PremierScott Moe
LegislatureLegislature of Saskatchewan
Federal representationParliament of Canada
House seats14 of 338 (4.1%)
Senate seats6 of 105 (5.7%)
Area
 • Total
651,900 km2 (251,700 sq mi)
 • Land591,670 km2 (228,450 sq mi)
 • Water59,366 km2 (22,921 sq mi)  9.1%
 • Rank7th
 6.5% of Canada
Population
 (2021)
 • Total
1,132,505[3]
 • Estimate 
(Q3 2024)
1,239,865[4]
 • Rank6th
 • Density1.91/km2 (4.9/sq mi)
DemonymSaskatchewanian (official)[5]
Official languagesEnglish[6]
GDP
 • Rank5th
 • Total (2015)CA$79.415 billion[7]
 • Per capitaCA$70,138 (4th)
HDI
 • HDI (2019)0.921[8] — Very high (8th)
Time zones
year-round in most areasUTC−06:00 (Central)
Lloydminster and nearby areasUTC−07:00 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−06:00 (Mountain DST)
Canadian postal abbr.
SK
Postal code prefix
S
ISO 3166 codeCA-SK
FlowerWestern red lily
TreePaper birch
BirdSharp-tailed grouse
Rankings include all provinces and territories

Saskatchewan (/səˈskætʃ(ə)wən/ ⓘ sə-SKATCH-(ə-)wən, Canadian French: [saskatʃəˈwan]) is a province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the United States (Montana and North Dakota). Saskatchewan and Alberta are the only landlocked provinces of Canada. In 2024, Saskatchewan's population was estimated at 1,239,865.[9] Nearly 10% of Saskatchewan's total area of 651,900 km2 (251,700 sq mi) is fresh water, mostly rivers, reservoirs, and lakes.

Residents live primarily in the southern prairie half of the province, while the northern half is mostly forested and sparsely populated. Roughly half live in the province's largest city, Saskatoon, or the provincial capital, Regina. Other notable cities include Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Swift Current, North Battleford, Estevan, Weyburn, Melfort, and the border city of Lloydminster.[10] English is the primary language of the province, with 82.4% of Saskatchewanians speaking English as their first language.[11]

Saskatchewan has been inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous peoples. Europeans first explored the area in 1690 and first settled in the area in 1774. It became a province in 1905, carved out from the vast North-West Territories, which had until then included most of the Canadian Prairies. In the early 20th century, the province became known as a stronghold for Canadian social democracy; North America's first social-democratic government was elected in 1944. The province's economy is based on agriculture, mining, and energy.

Saskatchewan is presently governed by Premier Scott Moe, the leader of the Saskatchewan Party, which has been in power since 2007.

In 1992, the federal and provincial governments signed a historic land claim agreement with First Nations in Saskatchewan.[12] The First Nations received compensation which they could use to buy land on the open market for the bands. They have acquired about 3,079 km2 (761,000 acres; 1,189 sq mi), new reserve lands under this process. Some First Nations have used their settlement to invest in urban areas, including Regina and Saskatoon.[12]

  1. ^ "Emblems of Saskatchewan". Government of Saskatchewan. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  2. ^ "Saskatchewan". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  3. ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  4. ^ "Population estimates, quarterly". Statistics Canada. September 27, 2023. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  5. ^ Saskatchewanian is the prevalent demonym, and is used by the Government of Saskatchewan. According to the Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage (ISBN 0-19-541619-8; p. 335), Saskatchewaner is also in use.
  6. ^ "The legal context of Canada's official languages". University of Ottawa. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  7. ^ "Gross domestic product, expenditure-based, by province and territory (2015)". Statistics Canada. November 9, 2016. Archived from the original on September 19, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  8. ^ "Sub-national HDI – Subnational HDI – Global Data Lab". Archived from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  9. ^ "Population estimates, quarterly1". Statistics Canada. September 28, 2022.
  10. ^ "Statistics Canada, Quarterly demographic estimates, 2009". 150.statcan.gc. Statcan.gc.ca. December 23, 2009. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  11. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (February 8, 2017). "Census Profile, 2016 Census – Saskatchewan [Province] and Canada [Country]". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Treaty Land Entitlement – The English River Story, Saskatchewan" Archived July 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, accessed November 25, 2011