With the Mackenzie Mountains to the west, the barrenlands to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the borders of three Canadian provinces to the south, this is truly a big, majestic land, 1.4 million sq km, almost 550,000 square miles, twice the size of Texas, or about the same area as France, Spain and Germany combined. The Northwest Territories is among the world's last great wildlife refuges. Polar bears can be spotted along the Arctic coastline. Birdwatchers flock here to see the vast migrations that converge on Arctic nesting grounds each summer. Magnificent eagles and falcons soar the river canyons.
White pelicans find sanctuary at the rapids of the Slave River.
Cliff rookeries on the coast and islands shelter terns, murres, gulls, fulmars, guillemots and jaegers. In spring, the warming sun invites outdoor adventure in the snow, travel to the floe edge or out on the land. All the seasons are spectacular in the western Northwest Territories. Time's upended in summer, when we have the longest days of all, a time for driving, boating and flightseeing. At midsummer, the light lingers all night.