Economy

Alberta's early economy relied primarily on the fur trade. Agriculture became important during the early 20th century. During the late 1940's, petroleum and natural gas became important. Today, agriculture is still a major activity in Alberta, but service industries account for the largest portion of the economy. Community, business, and personal services is the most important economic activity in Alberta in terms of gross domestic product. The service industry is also the leading employer in the province. Services include education, health care, legal services, engineering services, and the operation of recreational facilities.

Alberta has some 54,000 farms; about two-thirds of Canada's irrigated farmland. Alberta's leading crop is wheat, which is grown throughout much of the province. Other leading crops include canola, barley, and ornamental plants.

Beef cattle are the leading farm product in Alberta. It has more beef cattle than any other province. However, farmers also raise large numbers of dairy cattle, hogs and chickens in Alberta.

Alberta is Canada's chief mining province. Alberta leads the nation in the production of petroleum and natural gas, which account for 90 per cent of the province's mining income. Alberta produces about 600 million barrels of petroleum each year. The province accounts for about 80 per cent of Canada's natural-gas production.

Alberta's other mined products include coal, sand and gravel, and sulfur. Geologists estimate the sands hold a large share of the world's known crude petroleum reserves. Production began in the late 1960's.

Much of Alberta's coal is exported to Japan and South Korea; the rest is used mainly within the province for generating power. A large amount of sulfur is produced, as a by-product of petroleum refining.

Chemical production, mainly petrochemicals and fertilizers, is the leading manufacturing activity in Alberta. Petrochemicals are produced from petroleum and include such compounds as ethylene and methanol.

Food and beverage processing is the second most important manufacturing activity in Alberta. Meat packing is the leading type of food processing in Alberta. Other important products include animal feed, beer, dairy products, and flour.

Alberta also manufactures electronics products, fabricated metal products, machinery, paper products, and wood products.

Alberta's central and southern prairies and, to a lesser extent, the Peace River district, are well served by rail lines and highways. Two wilderness routes, each with a road and a railway, have been opened northward. One reaches Fort McMurray; the other. Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories.

Airplanes are used widely and in many areas provide the only means of access. Large international airports are at Edmonton and Calgary. Edmonton is the hub of an enormous pipeline system that collects petroleum and sends it to distant markets in Canada and the United States.