Edmonton is the capital city of Alberta. In 2008, there were about 1,102,000 people in the Edmonton area. Edmonton is just south of the middle of Alberta in the prairie part of the province. There are many farms close to Edmonton.
The city started as a trading post on the North Saskatchewan River. Edmonton turned into a city mostly over the last 100 years.
Edmonton has of one of the world's largest shopping malls. This mall is called the West Edmonton Mall. This mall has over 800 stores, a hotel, an indoor water park, an indoor theme park, an ice skating rink, movie theatres, places to eat and drink, and other things to see. Many, many people visit the West Edmonton Mall.
Edmonton also has more sun than all other cities in Canada. But other cities are warmer than Edmonton. Winter temperatures often are below -20 degrees Celsius. It is common for it be even colder (below -30 degrees Celsius) for a few days in January or February. However, the summer can be warmer than 25 or 30 degrees. The sun does not set until after 11 pm in June.
The city is also well known for its festivals. There are many popular events in both summer and winter, such as Heritage Days, the Folk Festival, and the Fringe.
Edmonton has many interesting places to visit. Places such as The Francis Winspear Centre for Music, the Valley Zoo, Fort Edmonton Park, the Muttart Conservatory,and Telus World of Science.
Edmonton is known as the city of champions, and is home to the Edmonton Oilers, and the Edmonton Eskimos. The Edmonton Oilers have 5 Stanley Cup Championships, and the Eskimos have 23 Western Division Championships, and 13 Grey Cup Championships.
The Edmonton tornado, the second deadliest tornado in Canada, struck the east side of the city in 1987.