Law, government, and crime in Winnipeg being the provincial capital of Manitoba, Winnipeg has served as the capital for two other Canadian territories: the Northwest Territories from 1870 to 1876 and the District of Keewatin from 1876 to 1905. Winnipeg is policed by the Winnipeg Police Service, which in 2012, had 1,442 police officers. In 2017, Winnipeg had 192 police officers per 100,000 people, down from 200 in 2015. A change that is consistent with an overall decline in police officers per capita across Canada, which saw a 1% drop last year and a 1% decline the year before. At 192, Winnipeg has among the highest
Geography and climate of Winnipeg Geography and climate of Winnipeg Winnipeg lies at the bottom of the Red River Valley, a low-lying flood plain with an extremely flat topography. This valley was formed by the ancient glacial Lake Agassiz which has rich deposits of black soil. Winnipeg is on the eastern edge of the Canadian Prairies in Western Canada; it is known as the 'Gateway to the West'. It is relatively close to many large Canadian Shield lakes and parks, as well as Lake Winnipeg (the Earth's 11th largest freshwater lake). Winnipeg is bordered by tallgrass prairie to the west and south and the aspen