Proper noun

Singular Alberta

Plural -

Alberta

1. Province in western Canada which has Edmonton as its capital.
2. A female given name, a feminine form of Albert.
   • 1936, George Weller, Clutch and Differential, Ayer, 1970, ISBN 0836936590, page 196,

     Alberta is more like a man's name than any other name that comes from a men's, more than Georgianna which is just like a magnolia blossom or Henrietta which most people change to Etta or Geraldine which nobody ever thinks of coming from a man's Irish name like Gerald. Alberta also sounds sort of Canadian, and everything from Canada is masculine the way everything from Mexico is feminine, even the men. In saying it carelessly or reading it you hardly notice the a in the end.

Derived terms

• Albertan

French

Proper noun

Alberta f.

1. Alberta

Italian

Proper noun

Alberta f.

1. A female given name, feminine form of Alberto.

Alberta (pronounced /ælˈbɜrtə/) is the most populous and fastest growing of Canada's three prairie provinces. It is approximately the same size as France or Texas and had a population of 3.7 million in 2009. It became a province on September 1, 1905, on the same day as Saskatchewan. It is economically important primarily because of its vast oil reserves, and its large tertiary and quaternary economic sector.

Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south. Alberta is one of three Canadian provinces and territories to border only a single U.S. state (the others being New Brunswick and Yukon). It is also one of only two Canadian provinces that are landlocked (the other being Saskatchewan).

The capital city of Alberta is Edmonton, located just south of the centre of the province. Roughly 300 kilometres (190 mi) south of the capital is Calgary, Alberta's largest city and a major distribution and transportation hub as well as one of Canada's major commerce centres. Edmonton is the primary supply and service hub for Canada's oil sands and other northern resource industries. According to recent population estimates, these two metropolitan areas have now both exceeded 1 million people. Other municipalities in the province include Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Camrose, Lloydminster, Brooks, Wetaskiwin, Banff, Cold Lake, and Jasper.

Alberta is named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1848–1939), the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert. Princess Louise was the wife of the Marquess of Lorne, Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. Lake Louise, the village of Caroline, and Mount Alberta were also named in honour of Princess Louise. Since December 14, 2006, the Premier of the province has been Ed Stelmach, a Progressive Conservative.