SaskatchewanSaskatchewan has long been known as the "Bread Basket" of the World. Its waving golden wheatfields, endless sky and diverse natural resources have made it a land of wide open spaces. It is the middle province of Canada's three prairie provinces. Saskatchewan has an area of 651,900 km˛ (251,700 mi˛) and a population of 985,386 (Saskatchewanians) as of July 1, 2006. Most of its population lives in the southern half of the province.
The largest city is Saskatoon with a population of 235,800 (July 1, 2005), followed by the province's capital, Regina (population: 199,000, July 1, 2005). Other major cities (in order of size) include Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Swift Current, and North Battleford.
Historically, from 1872 to 1930 immigrants were attracted to Saskatchewan by the Homestead Act which granted a quarter section or 160 acres to homesteaders if they could 'prove' the land in three years. The immigration pattern resulted in ethnic bloc settlements which include: British, French, German, Dutch, Scadinavian and Ukranian.
