View source for Fort McMurray

'''Fort McMurray''' is a town in [[Canada]]'s northeastern province of [[Alberta]], in the Regional Municipality of [[Wood Buffalo, Alberta]]. 

===Location===

Fort McMurray is located at 56&deg;40'N and 111&deg;40'W, 370 m above sea level. It is 435 km northeast of Edmonton on Highway 63, almost 100 km west of the [[Saskatchewan]] border, nestled in the boreal forest at the confluence of the [[Athabasca River]] and the [[Clearwater River, Canada| Clearwater River]].

===Population===

The population of Wood Buffalo ([[2001]] [[census]]) is 41,466, with the majority of that located within the immediate area of Fort McMurray, which used to have city status but which incorporated into Wood Buffalo a few years ago.

===Climate===

The average temperature at Fort McMurray is -19.8&deg;C in January and +16.6&deg;C in July. Its annual rainfall amounts to 334.5 mm, its snowfall is 172.0 cm. 

===Economics===

Fort McMurray is considered the heart of one of Alberta's (and Canada's) major hubs of [[oil production]], located near the [[Athabasca Tar Sands]]. Besides the [[tar sands]], its industries rely on [[natural gas]] and [[pipeline]] sectors, [[forestry]] and [[tourism]].  

===History===

Fort Chipewyan is Alberta's oldest settled community. Over 200 years ago, [[Peter Pond]] and the voyageurs of the [[North West Company|Northwest Trading Company]] traveled this area in search of furs.

===Municipality===
   
In addition to Fort McMurray, The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo consists of ten smaller communities: [[Anzac, Alberta| Anzac]], [[Draper, Alberta| Draper]], [[Fort Chipewyan]], [[Fort Fitzgerald]], [[Fort MacKay]], [[Gregoire Lake Estates]], [[Janvier]], [[Mariana Lakes]] and [[Saprae Creek Estates]].  

[[Category:Alberta communities]]
[[de: Fort McMurray]]