If you look at a map of Canada, Manitoba sits right in the middle, like the heart of the country. On May 12, 1870, the Manitoba Act made it an official province. The land was already home to the Metis people, who had both European and Indigenous heritage. They farmed long, narrow strips of land along the Red River. Manitoba's geography is shaped by water and flatness. Lake Winnipeg, one of the largest lakes in North America, covers more area than some small countries. The southern part of the province is prairie, a word for wide, flat grassland with rich soil. Farmers there grow enormous amounts of wheat, canola, and barley. Winnipeg, the capital, sits where the Red River meets the Assiniboine River. This meeting point made it an important trading spot for centuries before Europeans arrived. The city sometimes gets temperatures below minus 30 degrees Celsius in winter, making it one of the coldest major cities in the world. Despite the cold, Winnipeg has a diverse population with communities from the Philippines, India, Ukraine, and many Indigenous nations.