Edmonton is the capital for the Province of Alberta and is Canada’s sixth-largest city. Edmonton was an early aviation center and was once known as the ‘Gateway to the North’. That title changed to ‘Oil Capital of Canada’ in the 1970s, when the entire province boomed and Edmonton experienced explosive growth. Alberta’s oil sands are the world’s largest known hydrocarbon source. As the supply and service hub of Alberta’s oil industry, Edmonton derives benefits from being strategically located between the potentially largest supply of oil in the world, and the world’s largest oil consumer, the United States

As one of Canada’s premier research and education centres, the region has produced dynamic and thriving science and technology sectors such as life sciences, nanotechnology, agri-food processing, software development, micro electronics, manufacturing and telecommunciations solutions.

Most streets and avenues in Edmonton are designated by numbers rather than name, making it easy for everyone to locate addresses. Numbered avenues run east and west (and increase northbound) while numbered streets run north and south (and increase westbound).

The North Saskatchewan River drifts through the city centre, separating downtown, on the north bank, from the lively and interesting Old Strathcona district to the south. Between the two districts lies a series of beautiful parks. Downtown is bounded roughly by 104^th Ave,100^th Ave, 109^th St and 95^th St. Filled with mirrored, 1970s high rises, it bustles with office workers and shoppers during the day. Jasper Ave (101^st Ave) is the main thoroughfare downtown.

Across the river, the historic Old Strathcona district, runs along 82^nd Ave ( also called Whyte Ave) for several blocks east and west of 104^th St. This neighbourhood is buzzing with funky shops, boutique hotels, bars and nightclubs.

The West Edmonton Mall is sprawled over 48 hectares and bills itself as ‘the world’s largest shopping and entertainment centre’.

City buses and a 10-stop tram system known as the Light Rail Transit (LRT) cover most of the city. There is an extensive system of pedways ( above and below ground) that connect most major downtown buildings and the LRT.

Edmonton International Airport is about 30 km south of the city along the Calgary trail, about a 45 minute drive from downtown. The airport is situated adjacent to Highway 2, Alberta’s major north-south transportation corridor linking Calgary and Edmonton. More than 5 million passengers used the airport in 2005.

Population
July 1, 2010 Estimate	1,149,611
Male	584,013
Female	565,598
% Canadian Total	3.39

Marital Status (2010 Estimates - Age 15+)
Single (Never married)	274,714
Married (Legal and common-law)	555,330
Separated (Legally Married)	22,821
Widowed	45,012
Divorced	57,906

Home Language (Top 3)
	2009 Estimates	% Total
English	1,001,052	88.23
Chinese	16,136	1.42
Punjabi	11,638	1.03

Income
2010 Total Income Estimate $	45,610,819,235
% Above/Below National Average	+23
% Canadian Total	4.17
2010 Average HH. Income $	98,857
2010 Per Capita $	39,675

Housing (2010 Estimates)
Occupied Private Dwellings	461,381
Owned	322,264
Rented	138,553

Occupations
2010 Estimates	Male	Female
Management	44,976	22,771
Business, Finance & Admin.	34,737	91,664
Natural & Applied Sci. and Rel’d	40,184	10,048
Health	8,887	33,296
Social Sci., Gov’t Serv’s & Relig’n	8,956	19,711
Education	10,507	16,041
Arts, Culture, Recr’n & Sport	7,413	10,210
Sales & Service	68,385	87,935
Trades, Transp. & EquipOps. Etc.	120,352	8,957
Primary Industries	16,748	3,635
Processing, Mfg. & Utilities	16,409	5,951

Retail Sales
2010 Retail Sales Estimate $	18,696,360,757
% Above/Below National Average	+29
% Cdn. Total	4.37
2010 per HH $	40,523
2010 per Capita $	16,263

Vehicles
2008 new vehicles registered (Year End)	78,758
Total vehicles on the road (Dec ’08)	947,572