Better Know a Province: Manitoba

Already live in Manitoba? Considering relocating there? Regardless of your current region, there's plenty more to learn about the prairie province of Manitoba!

The fifth most-populous province in Canada, Manitoba shares borders with the U.S. states of North Dakota and Minnesota and was named after the Cree word manitou-wapow or the Ojibwa manidoobaa, meaning the "straits of Manitou, the Great Spirit." This area is what is now called the Narrows, a bridge in the center of Lake Manitoba.

While 90 percent of Manitoba's population lives in the southern region (the area with the largest cities and most arable land), the northern region comprises 70 percent of the province's total land area and is known for its polar bear population, especially Churchill, the Polar Bear Capital.

The highly populated Southern region experiences cold and windy winters with frequent blizzards and warm summers while the area of Manitoba located north of Tornado Alley experiences several tornadoes each year. In 2007, the area of Elie experienced the strongest officially recorded tornado in all of Canada, when an F5 touched down causing major damage.

Statistics

• Capital - Winnipeg
• Largest city - Winnipeg
• Official languages - English and French
• Demonym - Manitoban
• Time zone - Central: UTC−6 (DST-5)

• Motto - Gloriosus et liber (Glorious and free)
• Mammal - plains bison
• Fossil - mosasaur
• Bird - great grey owl
• Fish - walleye
• Tree - white spruce
• Flower - crocus
• Grass - big bluestem