What are the key geographic features of Saskatchewan?

Saskatchewan is the middle of Canada's three prairie provinces, between Alberta to the west and Manitoba to the east. The province covers 651,036 square kilometres with a population of about 1.22 million. Saskatchewan joined Canadian Confederation on September 1, 1905 as the eighth province, the same day as neighbouring Alberta. Both provinces were carved from the Northwest Territories under the Saskatchewan Act and the Alberta Act, both passed earlier in 1905.

The southern half of Saskatchewan is a flat to gently rolling prairie that includes about 40 per cent of Canada's arable land. The province produces about 80 per cent of Canadian durum wheat (and about half of all Canadian wheat), about 50 per cent of Canadian canola, the largest share of Canadian lentils, peas, and chickpeas, and major shares of Canadian beef and pork. The Palliser Triangle in the southwest is the driest agricultural region in Canada with about 350 millimetres of annual precipitation. Pulses (lentils, peas, chickpeas) have grown to be a major export in the past 30 years.

Northern Saskatchewan is dominated by the Canadian Shield, with more than 100,000 lakes and extensive boreal forest. The Athabasca Basin in the far north contains the world's highest-grade uranium deposits, mined by Cameco at McArthur River and Cigar Lake and by Orano at McClean Lake. Saskatchewan provides about 22 per cent of global uranium supply. Lake Athabasca, on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, is the eighth-largest lake in Canada at 7,935 square kilometres. Reindeer Lake, Wollaston Lake, and Lac La Ronge are other major northern lakes.

Saskatchewan does not observe daylight saving time, the only Canadian province with this distinction. Most of the province follows Central Standard Time year-round (equivalent to Mountain Daylight Time in summer). The province's name derives from the Cree word kisiskaciwani-sipiy meaning 'swift-flowing river', referring to the Saskatchewan River system. Treaty 4 (1874), Treaty 5 (1875), Treaty 6 (1876), Treaty 8 (1899), and Treaty 10 (1906) cover different parts of the province. The Metis Nation of Saskatchewan represents about 80,000 Metis citizens and is implementing a 2023 self-government agreement. Major cities include Saskatoon (population about 285,000, the largest), Regina (the capital), Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, and Swift Current.