Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Specialized municipality in Alberta, Canada.
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is a specialized administrative region in northeastern Alberta that encompasses Fort McMurray and Fort Chipewyan within its boundaries. The territory features water and forest landscapes that shape settlement patterns across the area.
The municipality was created in 1995 through the merger of Fort McMurray and Improvement District No. 143, receiving its current name in 1996. This consolidation formed a new administrative structure for the rapidly growing region.
Indigenous communities live alongside international workers in this region, creating a diverse population with multiple languages and traditions visible in daily life. This blend shapes the character of Fort McMurray and smaller settlements throughout the territory.
Fort McMurray International Airport provides regular flights connecting the region to Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, and other major Canadian cities. Air travel is the most practical way to reach this northern territory.
The region produces substantial quantities of oil from the Athabasca Oil Sands, significantly shaping the local economy. This resource extraction is central to understanding how the area developed and functions today.
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