Alberta is divided by Meridians, major vertical columns beginning with the Alberta / Saskatchewan Border, being the 4th meridian. The 5th meridian runs through Stony Plain and Calgary, and the 6th meridian passes through Debolt and Jasper.

Ranges are additional columns between meridians, which are numbered in order from east to west of each meridian.

Townships are horizontal rows crossing meridians and ranges. The row adjacent to the U.S. border is called Township 1, the next row northwards is Township 2, and so on up to Township 126 next to the NWT boundry.

The word Township is also used to describe the area formed when a township row intersects with a range. This Township area contains 36 sections, each about 1 mile square.

These Sections are numbered in a snake-like fashion from the southeast corner of the township from 1 – 36.

Each Section can also be subdivided into quarters, described geographically (SE, SW, NW or NE) and numbered in exactly the same method as the Townships, beginning from the southeast corner.

Section land that has been subdivided is legally described according to its geographical location; by its meridian, range, township, section and quarter section number.

So, the Legal Description SW12;36;4;W5th defines a quarter section of land by Raven, Alberta.

Additional sub-division occurs in a city, town, village or acreage subdivision, and the former legal description is changed to a new legal description defining the land by Plan number, Block number and Lot number.