The People

Tracing the roots of Alberta's nearly 3 million people is an exercise that begins with Aboriginal people and leads to virtually every corner of the globe. Aboriginal people formed the bulk of the area's population until the 1880s, when they were outnumbered by the influx of Europeans.

In 1881, there were barely more than 1000 non-Aboriginal people in the area that was to become the province of Alberta. Ten years later, 17 500 people occupied the territory. Immigrants from many countries came in response to the Canadian government's aggressive efforts, between the 1890s and the 1920s, to promote immigration and encourage agricultural development. By the end of the immigration push in 1921, there were 584 454 Albertans.

After the Second World War, the pattern changed. From the 1960s on, immigrants have come from all over the world, including the Pacific Rim, Asia and the Caribbean. Today, roughly 44 percent of Albertans are of British descent; other large ethnic groups include the German, Ukrainian, French, Scandinavian and Dutch. In 1996, approximately 120 000 people were of Aboriginal or Métis origin. Smaller numbers of people, tracing their heritage to virtually every country in the world, make up the remaining 24 percent of the population.

English is the language of the vast majority of Albertans, and most religious faiths are represented. Approximately 80 percent of Albertans live in urban areas, and more than half live in the two main cities of Edmonton, the province's capital, and Calgary.