The Northern Territories: Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut

Canada’s North is a place of extremes — of breathtaking scale, extreme cold, permanent darkness in winter and endless daylight in summer. The three northern territories — Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut — together contain one-third of Canada’s entire land mass, yet are home to only 100,000 people. This is a land of gold, diamonds and ancient tundra, of Indigenous cultures that have endured for millennia, and of a frontier spirit that has captured imaginations the world over.

The Land Itself

The North is often described as the Land of the Midnight Sun A phrase used to describe northern regions where, during summer, the sun remains above the horizon for up to 24 hours a day. because during the height of summer, daylight can last as long as 24 hours. In stark contrast, winter brings the opposite extreme: the sun disappears and darkness descends for up to three months. The northern territories experience long, bitterly cold winters and short, cool summers.

Much of the North is made up of tundra The vast, rocky Arctic plain that characterises much of northern Canada. The soil is permanently frozen (permafrost), and no trees grow there. , the vast rocky Arctic plain where permanently frozen soil means no trees can take root. Some communities continue to sustain themselves through hunting, fishing and trapping, traditions stretching back thousands of years. Inuit art — known for its distinctive carvings and prints — is sold throughout Canada and around the world.

The territories are rich in mineral resources, with gold, lead, copper, diamond and zinc mines operating across the region. Oil and gas deposits are also being actively developed.

Yukon

Yukon became famous around the world during the Gold Rush of the 1890s, when thousands of miners poured into the territory in search of fortune — a chapter immortalised in the poetry of Robert W. Service. Mining remains a significant part of the Yukon economy to this day.

The White Pass and Yukon Railway, which opened in 1900 from Skagway in neighbouring Alaska to the territorial capital, Whitehorse, offers one of the most spectacular tourist journeys in North America — crossing precipitous mountain passes and dramatic bridges. Yukon also holds a record worth remembering: the coldest temperature ever recorded in Canada was measured here, at -63°C.

Yukon is also home to Mount Logan, the highest mountain in Canada. It is named in honour of Sir William Logan, a world-famous geologist born in Montreal in 1798 to Scottish immigrant parents. Logan founded and directed the Geological Survey of Canada from 1842 to 1869 and is considered one of Canada’s greatest scientists.

Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories were originally formed in 1870 from Rupert’s Land and the North-Western Territory. The capital, Yellowknife, has a population of approximately 20,000 and carries the proud title of the “diamond capital of North America.” More than half of the N.W.T.’s population is Aboriginal, including Dene, Inuit and Métis peoples. The Mackenzie River, stretching 4,200 kilometres, is the second longest river system in North America — second only to the Mississippi — and drains a vast area of 1.8 million square kilometres.

Nunavut

The province of Nunavut A Canadian territory established in 1999 whose name means 'our land' in Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit people. was established in 1999 from the eastern part of the Northwest Territories, including all of the former District of Keewatin. Its creation represented a landmark achievement in the recognition of Indigenous land rights in Canada. The capital is Iqaluit, formerly known as Frobisher Bay — named after the English explorer Martin Frobisher, who ventured into the uncharted Arctic for Queen Elizabeth I in 1576.

Nunavut’s 19-member Legislative Assembly governs by a distinctive approach, choosing its premier and ministers by consensus rather than through party politics. The population is approximately 85% Inuit, and Inuktitut holds the status of an official language and is the first language used in schools.

The Canadian Rangers: Protecting Canada’s Arctic

Canada’s vast North presents unique security and sovereignty challenges. The Canadian Rangers A sub-component of the Canadian Forces Reserves (militia) that patrols remote and isolated areas of Canada, drawing on Indigenous knowledge and experience. are part of the Canadian Forces Reserves (militia) and play a key role in meeting these challenges. Drawing on generations of Indigenous knowledge, the Rangers travel by snowmobile in winter and all-terrain vehicles in summer, patrolling from Resolute to the Magnetic North Pole and maintaining Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic.