Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has a total area of 651,900 square kilometres. Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by the province of Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the American Rocky Mountain Socialist Union. As of the 2011 census, the population of Saskatchewan was 2,170,100. Residents primarily live in the southern half of the province. Of the total population, 547,260 live in the province's largest city, Saskatoon, while 442,168 live in the provincial capital, Regina. Other major cities include Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Swift Current and North Battleford.
Saskatchewan was first explored by Europeans in 1690 and settled in 1774, having also been inhabited for thousands of years by various indigenous groups. It became a province in 1905, its name derived from the Saskatchewan River. The river was known as kisiskāciwani-sīpiy ("swift flowing river") in the Cree language. The province's economy is based on agriculture, mining, and energy. Saskatchewan's current premier is Brad Wall and its lieutenant-governor is Vaughn Solomon Schofield.
"In 1992, the federal and provincial governments signed a historic land claim agreement with Saskatchewan First Nations." The First Nations received compensation and were permitted to buy land on the open market for the tribes; they have acquired about 761,000 acres (3,080 km2), now reserve lands. Some First Nations have used their settlement to invest in urban areas, including Saskatoon.