Manitoba is known as the land of 100 000 lakes, a legacy of enormous Lake Agassiz, which covered much of the province after the glaciers retreated. The major rivers of western Canada flow into the lowland region of Manitoba, giving Manitoba 90 percent of the hydro-electric potential of the Prairie region. The northern topography is heavily glaciated and covered in forest, dominated by pine, hemlock and birch.

Camping grounds, parks, lakes and rivers as well as historic sites are the principal attractions for Manitoba's visitors. Tourism also relies on dozens of community festivals, a number of which have international reputations.

The People

About 60 percent of Manitoba's nearly 1.15 million people live in metropolitan Winnipeg, the provincial capital. The second-largest city is Brandon, in southwestern Manitoba.Although Manitoba is one of the smaller provinces in population, it is an important center for a number of ethnic groups. It is one of the most important centers of Ukrainian culture outside Ukraine and has one of the largest populations of Mennonites in the world. More than 128 000 people are of Aboriginal or Métis origin. There are also many Manitobans of Icelandic origin.

Economy

Today, manufacturing leads all industrial groups, followed by agriculture, the production of hydroelectric power and mining. The primary industries (including electric power generation) represent about half of the total revenue derived from all goods-producing industries. Manufacturing and construction account for the rest.