Calgary has become one of the fastest growing cities in North America. While Calgary continues to be a major centre for the global energy industry, it’s rapidly expanding economy has diversified far beyond its traditional strength. Technology, manufacturing, financial and business services, transportation and logistics and film and creative industries are examples of the many industries contributing to Calgary’s exponential growth and to its international reputation for innovation. Calgary is home to the largest number of technology "start ups" per capita in Canada.

Among Canadian cities, Calgary had the lowest 10-year average annual unemployment rate of 5.7% from 1995 – 2004. Calgary had the highest concentration of head office employment in Canada (on a per capita basis), head office employment increased by 37% between 2000 and 2004, with an annual average of 9.5%. Calgary had the largest concentration of small businesses among Canadian cities on a per capita basis at 38.2 per 1000 population.

Calgary is situated on the banks of the Bow River and close to Alberta's majestic Rocky Mountains. Calgary is a community rich in arts, culture and entertainment. The Calgary Stampede is undoubtedly Calgary's best-known visitor attraction. This event, featuring a large parade and world-class rodeo, draws more than a million people each year. As Calgary's most popular tourist attraction, 'the greatest outdoor show on earth' features a real rodeo, a midway, concerts, chuckwagon races and more. The city of Calgary is transformed for 10 days into town celebrating the cowboy culture. The host city of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games takes pride in its sporting legacy. Canada Olympic Park is a multi-purpose athletic facility designed for skiing, snowboarding, bobsleigh and luge during the winter and mountain biking during the summer. The Pengrowth Saddledome is the home of the NHL's Calgary Flames, as well as being the venue for countless events and concerts throughout the year.

Streets within the city generally run north and south, avenues run east and west. The entire city is divided into four geographical segments, which are always indicated in addresses and on street signs. Those are N.W. (north-west), N.E. (north-east), S.W. (south-west), and S.E. (south-east). North and south are divided by the Bow River and Memorial Drive; the northern part of the city and downtown is divided by Centre St to East and West; the southern part is divided by Macleod Trail.

A Light RapidTransit (LRT) rail system, known as the C Train and buses provide public transportation throughout the city.

Calgary is a gateway to many destinations throughout North America. It has the third largest International Airport in Canada, with over 10 million passengers annually. The airport is a 20 minute drive from the city centre.

Population
July 1, 2009 Estimate	1,109,464
Male	557,688
Female	551,776
% Canadian Total	4.91

Marital Status (2009 Estimates - Age 15+)
Single (Never married)	267,194
Married (Legal and common-law)	535,269
Separated (Legally Married)	21,886
Widowed	37,167
Divorced	55,997

Home Language (Top 3)
	2007 Estimates	% Total
English	906,040	82.76
Chinese	22,102	2.02
Punjabi	7,161	0.65

Income
2009 Total Income Estimate $	48,148,890,000
% Above/Below National Average	+39
% Canadian Total	4.53
2009 Average HH. Income $	109,800
2009 Per Capita $	43,400

Housing (2009 Estimates)
Occupied Private Dwellings	438,563
Owned	321,925
Rented	116,638

Occupations
2009 Estimates	Male	Female
Management	48,712	25,337
Business, Finance & Admin.	40,802	95,893
Natural & Applied Sci. and Rel’d	61,471	16,521
Health	7,347	27,820
Social Sci., Gov’t Serv’s & Relig’n	9,353	19,436
Education	7,623	14,408
Arts, Culture, Recr’n & Sport	8,959	11,506
Sales & Service	68,039	84,569
Trades, Transp. & EquipOps. Etc.	89,923	7,248
Primary Industries	9,938	2,535
Processing, Mfg. & Utilities	14,954	6,203

Retail Sales
2009 Retail Sales Estimate $	20,687,280,000
% Above/Below National Average	+51
% Cdn. Total	4.91
2009 per HH $	47,200
2009 per Capita $	18,600

Vehicles
2007 new vehicles registered	96,512
Total vehicles on the road (July ’06)	746,508

Source: FP Markets, Canadian Demographics 2009