Colonies put together a plan of union at the
Albany Congress. Benjamin Franklin published
a cartoon to show why he thought
the union was important.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Albany Congress 67
to be a president-general appointed by
the English king. The legislature was to
be appointed by the existing colonial
legislatures.
The congress passed the plan but it
never went into effect. Both the king
and the colonies thought it gave too
much power to the other side. However,
the plan served as a model when the
colonies united to form the United
States 22 years later.
#More to explore
Franklin, Benjamin French and Indian
War
Albatross
Albatrosses are large ocean birds with
very long, narrow wings. They can fly
long distances with little effort. They
glide gracefully for hours, even in heavy
storms. However, these birds make
clumsy crash landings. They also
attract mates with funny-looking dances
and displays. For these reasons sailors
sometimes call them gooney birds.
There are more than 10 species, or
types, of albatross. They belong to the
family of birds called Diomedeidae.
Albatrosses are birds of the open sea.
They sleep on the surface of the water.
They have no need to visit land except
during breeding season. Most types fly
over the South Pacific, Indian, and
South Atlantic oceans. A few types fly
over the North Pacific Ocean. Albatrosses
breed and nest on islands.
Albatrosses are among the largest flying
birds. They can weigh as much as 25
pounds (11 kilograms). The wingspan of
the wandering albatross may be more
than 11 feet (3 meters)longer than
that of any other living bird. An albatross
has a big head, a hooked bill, and
webbed toes. Most adult albatrosses have
white body feathers with black, brown,
or white wing feathers. A few types have
brown feathers all over.
Albatrosses can soar on air currents for
hours without flapping their wings. But
they have difficulty flying in calm air.
Albatrosses eat mainly squid and sometimes
fish. They also eat food scraps cast
off by passing ships.
#More to explore
Bird
The wings of a black-browed albatross can
measure more than 7 feet (2.1 meters) from
tip to tip.
68 Albatross BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Alberta
The province of Alberta in western
Canada is one of the countrys three
Prairie Provinces, but it is known for its
minerals as well as its crops. The province
was named after Princess Louise
Caroline Alberta, a daughter of Queen
Victoria, when Great Britain ruled
Canada. The capital is Edmonton.
Geography
Alberta borders British Columbia on the
west and the Northwest Territories on
the north. To the east is Saskatchewan,
another of the Prairie Provinces. To the
south is the U.S. state of Montana.
Most of Albertas land is a flat plain. In
the south the plain is treeless prairie, but
in the north it is forested. The province
is dotted with many lakes, especially in
the north. In the southwestern part of
Alberta are the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
The scenic Banff and Jasper
national parks lie in the
Rockies.
People
People with English, Scottish, or Irish
ancestors make up the largest ethnic
groups in Alberta. Many other residents
have German, French, or Ukrainian
origins. Though Albertas American
Indian population is fairly small, the
province has more Metis than any other
province. Metis have a mixed Indian and
European background.
Four of every five people in Alberta live
in cities or towns. The largest cities are
Calgary and Edmonton. Calgary is a
A mountain is reflected in Lake
Louise. The lake is part of Banff
National Park in Alberta.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Alberta 69
financial center and a shipping point for
products of the surrounding farms and
ranches. Edmonton is called the Gateway
to the North because it is farther north
than any other large Canadian city. It is a
center of the oil and gas industry. The
University of Alberta is in Edmonton.
Economy
Services, including banking, education,
and health care, make up the biggest
part of Albertas economy. The provinces
spectacular mountain scenery
attracts many visitors and makes tourism
a leading service industry. Albertas
single largest industry, however, is
energy production. The province produces
half of Canadas oil and most of
its natural gas. Alberta also mines almost
half the coal produced in Canada.
Refined oil and chemicals made from oil
and natural gas are among the leading
manufactured products. Food and wood
products are also important.
Albertas leading crop is wheat. Albertas
farms also produce barley, alfalfa, canola,
and hay. Millions of beef cattle graze on
the grasslands of the province. Farmers
and ranchers also raise sheep, hogs, and
horses.
History
The first American Indians to live in
what is now Alberta arrived about
10,000 years ago. The first Europeans
did not arrive until 1754. They came to
trap animals for their fur and to trade
for furs with the Indians. Employees of
the two main fur-trading companies, the
Hudsons Bay Company and the North
West Company, explored the region and
built trading posts and forts.
In 1869 the new country of Canada
purchased the Hudsons Bay Companys
lands, which included all of what is now
Alberta. Soon the area was opened to
settlers, and many ranchers came.
Alberta was made part of the Northwest
Territories in 1882. Settlement increased
after 1883, when the Canadian Pacific
Railway reached Calgary from the east.
Farmers moved in after new kinds of
wheat were developed that could grow
in the short northern summer. In 1905
the Canadian government made Alberta
a province.
In 1914 oil was discovered at Turner
Valley, near Calgary. In 1947 more oil
was discovered at Leduc, near Edmonton.
Energy production then became
more important than farming in
Alberta.
..More to explore
Canada Fur Trade Hudsons Bay
Company Rocky Mountains
Calgary is one of the largest cities in
Alberta. It is located in the southern part of
the province.
Facts About
ALBERTA
Flag
Population
(2006 census)
3,290,350
Area
255,541 sq mi
(661,848 sq km)
Capital
Edmonton
Motto
Fortis et Liber
(Strong and Free)
When Alberta
Became a
Province
1905
70 Alberta BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Alchemy
Hundreds of years ago people called
alchemists tried to change lead into
gold. They also tried to make potions
that would allow people to live forever.
Their field of study was called alchemy.
Alchemists experimented with metals,
salts, acids, and other chemicals. They
also developed many nonscientific and
magical beliefs about the world. For
instance, alchemists thought that the
positions of the stars in the sky could
affect their chemical experiments. Today
scientists do not recognize alchemy as a
science. However, some scientists believe
that alchemists helped to lay the
foundations for the modern science of
chemistry.
In ancient times people practiced various
forms of alchemy in China, India,
Greece, and the Middle East. In about