About Winnipeg, Manitoba

Winnipeg is the capital and largest city in Manitoba, Canada. The city has a population of about 740,000. Winnipeg is located near the eastern edge of the Canadian Prairies.

Winnipeg Information City code WNP IATA code YWG Country Canada Province Manitoba Population 740,000 Pop. density 131 / km2 Land area 5,302 km2 Elevation 238 m Currency Dollar (CAD) Languages English Latitude 49.54° N Longitude 97.08° W

The first European settlers arrived in the Winnipeg area in the mid 1700s. Like much of Canada, European settlement of the area was centered around the fur trade.

With the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the late 1800s, the city became an important part of the trading routes headed to the western part of the continent.

The current city of Winnipeg was formed in 1971 when 13 separate cities and towns in the region agreed to merge.

Winnipeg has a widely diversified economy, including financial services, manufacturing, transportation, and government. Government and public sector jobs account for about 15% of employment in the region.

Winnipeg is located at the bottom of the Red River Valley in an extremely flat, low lying flood plain. The city lies south of Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg. Lake Winnipeg is the 11th largest lake in the world. Winnipeg is 65 miles north of the United States border with the state of North Dakota.

Winnipeg experiences wide weather variations from winter to summer. Winter are brutally cold with January highs often in single digits (°F). Summer temperatures are typically in the high 70s during July and August. The area is relatively dry receiving only 20 inches of precipitation a year.

Most Winnipeg residents are Canadian of European descent. About 16% of the population are from various minority groups. There is a sizeable population of 'aboriginal' origin - meaning members of various North American Indian tribes. There are also quite a few Filipinos.

English is the dominant language.

Winnipeg is served by Richardson International Airport (IATA code: YWG).

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