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Manitoba
is located in central North America, and borders Nunavut (north),
Saskatchewan (west), North Dakota (south), Minnesota (south), and
Ontario (east). Southern Manitoba is full of vast plains well suited
for farmlands. In the center of the province the flat land gives
way to areas of forest interspersed with hundreds of lakes. For
centuries the fur trade was the dominant economic activity in the
region known as Rupert’s Land. Large numbers of settlers arrived
in Manitoba during the 19th century and turned prairie grasslands
into wheat farms, which became Manitoba's main source income. By
the 1950s industry surpassed agriculture as the largest sector and
remains so to this day.
Population
& Geography
Total
Area: 647,797 sq km / 250,116 sq mi1
Population:
1,186,700 (2007)1
Capital
City: Winnipeg
Largest
Metro Areas: Winnipeg: 712,700 (2007)1
Economy
GDP:
$39.548 billion USD (2006)1
GDP
per capita: $33,326
(2006)1
Unemployment
Rate: 4.4% (2007)1
Government
Premier:
Gary Doer (NDP) (2007)2
Legislative
Assembly: 36 New Democrats (including Premier), 19 Progressive
Conservatives, 2 Liberals (2007)2
Other Information
Federal Representation:
8 Conservatives, 3 Liberals, 3 New Democrats (2007)3
Origin
of Name: There are two theories as to the origin of the name.
A) It is of Assiniboine origin: Mini and tobow meaning "Lake of the Prairie".
B) The more probable source is the Cree maniotwapow, "the strait of the spirit or manitobau".
This refers to the roaring sound produced by pebbles on a beach on Manitoba Island in Lake Manitoba4
If Manitoba were to become the 51st state today...
Area
Rank: 3rd
biggest State (bigger than California, smaller than Texas).5
Population
Rank: 43rd
most populous State (bigger than Rhode Island, smaller than Hawaii).5
GDP
Rank: 48th biggest economy in US (bigger than South Dakota,
smaller than Alaska).6
Congressmen:
1 House Representative and 2 Senators.
Electoral
Votes:
3
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