Calgary is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is situated at the confluence of the Bow River and the Elbow River in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately 80 km (50 mi) east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. In the 2011 census, the City of Calgary had a population of 1,096,833 and a metropolitan population of 1,214,839, making it the largest city in Alberta, and the third-largest municipality and fifth-largest census metropolitan area (CMA) in Canada. The economy of Calgary includes activity in the energy, financial services, film and television, transportation and logistics, technology, manufacturing, aerospace, health and wellness, retail, and tourism sectors.The Calgary CMA is home to the second-most corporate head offices in Canada among the country's 800 largest corporations. Calgary anchors the south end of what Statistics Canada defines as the "Calgary–Edmonton Corridor". In 1988, Calgary became the first Canadian city to host the Olympic Winter Games. Calgary experiences a dry humid continental climate . According to Environment Canada, average daytime high temperatures in Calgary range from 24 °C (75 °F) in late July to −3 °C (27 °F) in mid-January. Calgary has the warmest winters of all the major prairie cities, based on the average nighttime temperatures from December to February. The climate is greatly influenced by the city's elevation and proximity to the Rocky Mountains. Ice fog is common over ice-free currents of the Bow River when temperatures drop to −17 °C (1 °F). Hoar frost forms on vegetation. 9 January 2015 −20 °C (−4 °F), 10:00 AM Calgary's winters are broken up by warm, dry Chinook winds that routinely blow into the city from over the mountains during the winter months. These winds are known to raise the winter temperature by 20 °C (36 °F), and as much as 30 °C (54 °F) in just a few hours, and may last several days.In summer, daytime temperatures can exceed 29 °C (84 °F) anytime in June, July and August, and occasionally as late as September or as early as May. As a consequence of Calgary's high elevation and aridity, summer evenings tend to cool off.
Calgary is recognized as a Canadian leader in the oil and gas industry as well as for being a leader in economic expansion.Its high personal and family incomes, low unemployment and high GDP per capita have all benefited from increased sales and prices due to a resource boom, and increasing economic diversification. Because of these strengths, Calgary is designated as a global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. Also, Calgary was one of the top 200 cities worldwide, by the Brookings Institution, that had a top performing local economy for 2011. The city was ranked first nationally, and 51st in the world, in that aspect. Additionally, Calgary was voted third in quality of life among North American cities by the 2011-2012 issue of American Cities of the Future.The Conference Board of Canada forecasts Calgary to lead the country in GDP growth through to 2016. Calgary has a number of multicultural areas. Forest Lawn is among the most diverse areas in the city and as such, the area around 17 Avenue SE within the neighbourhood is also known as International Avenue. The district is home to many ethnic restaurants and stores. Calgary was designated as one of the cultural capitals of Canada in 2012. While many Calgarians continue to live in the city's suburbs, more central districts such as 17 Avenue, Kensington, Inglewood, Forest Lawn, Marda Loop and the Mission District have become more popular and density in those areas has increased.[citation needed] The nightlife and the availability of cultural venues in these areas has gradually begun to evolve as a result. The Calgary Public Library is the city's public library network, with 17 branches loaning books, e-books, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, audio books, and more. Based on borrowing, the library is the second largest in Canada, and sixth-largest municipal library system in North America. A 240,000-square-foot (22,000 m2) central library is under construction in Calgary East Village, and is expected to be completed in 2018. Calgary is the site of the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium performing arts, culture and community facility. The auditorium is one of two "twin" facilities in the province, the other located in Edmonton, each being locally known as the "Jube". The 2,538-seat auditorium was opened in 1957 and has been host to hundreds of Broadway musical, theatrical, stage and local productions. The Calgary Jube is the resident home of the Alberta Ballet Company, the Calgary Opera, the Kiwanis Music Festival, and the annual civic Remembrance Day ceremonies. Both auditoriums operate 365 days a year, and are run by the provincial government. Both received major renovations as part of the province's centennial in 2005 .
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