SASKATCHEWAN, a province of Can-. ada which receives its name from the Saskatchewan river, which flows through the northern part. It comprises the for mer territorial districts of Assiniboya East, Assiniboya West, Saskatchewan, and the eastern portion of Athabaska. Prior to Sept. 1, 1905, it was a part of the Northwest Territories. From that date it became a separate province. It has an area of 251,700 square miles. In 1921 the population was 761,390. The area of the arable land is estimated at 57,884,160 acres.
Production and Industry.—Saskatche wan is the largest wheat producing coun try in the world, growing between 117, 000,000 and 118,000,000 bushels annually. The estimated acreage of wheat in 1919 was 10,587,363, of oats 4,837,747, of bar ley 492,596, of flax 929,945. The value of the entire grain crop in 1919 was $305, 613,961. The total production of grain in the same year was 210,529,016 bushels. The chief mineral product is coal. There were in 1919 over 50 coal mines in oper ation, producing about 400,000 tons. The estimated coal resources of the Province are 59,812,000,000 metric tons. There
were in 1917 1,436 manufacturing estab lishments, employing 7,097 persons. The value of the product was $40,657,746. In 1918-19 the total imports were valued at $17,388,037, and the exports at $20,707,. 513. There were 587 bank branches in the Province in 1919. There are about 125,000 pupils in the elementary schools and about 4,000 in the high schools. Since 1905 the government has spent over $13, 000,000 for educational purposes. There are over 6,000 miles of railway, a longer mileage than any other Canadian i prov ince except Ontario. Lumbering is one of the principal industries. The value of the product in 1918 was $2,122,307. The chief cities are Regina, 40,000; Saskatoon, 30,000; Moose Jaw, 22,000; and Prince Albert, 6,500. The provincial govern ment is vested in a Lieutenant-Governor and a Legislative Assembly of 62 mem bers, elected for five years. Women were given the franchise in 1916.