Saskatchewan , Province, western Canada. Area: 251,367 sq mi (651,036 sq km). Population: (2021) 1,132,505. Capital: Regina. It is bounded to the north by the Northwest Territories, to the east by Manitoba, to the south by the U.S. state of Montana, and to the west by Alberta. A plains region, with prairie to the south and wooded country to the north, it supports rich and varied wildlife. The Cree Indians inhabited the region for some 5,000 years before it was claimed by the Hudson’s Bay Co., which controlled the area from 1670 until it surrendered the land to the British in 1868. It was part of Rupert’s Land (the territories granted to the Hudson’s Bay Co.) until 1869, and in 1870 it became part of the Dominion of Canada. From 1882 the extension of the railroad brought large numbers of European settlers. The province was created in 1905. Its economy is based on oil, gas, and potash production, grains, and livestock. The largest city is Saskatoon.
