Nunavut NUNAVUT ORIGIN OF NAME: Inuktitut for "our land." CAPITAL: Iqaluit. ENTERED CONFEDERATION: Organized 1 April 1999. COAT OF ARMS: The shield is flanked on the left by a caribou and on the right by a narwhal, symbolizing the land and sea animals that provide sustenance for the people. The five circles refer to the life-giving properties of the sun. Above the circles is the North Star. A qulliq, or Inuit stone lamp, appears to the left of the inuksuk, to represent light and the warmth of the family and the community. An iglu sits above the shield to represent the traditional life of the people. The Royal Crown above the iglu symbolizes public government. FLAG: In the center is a red inuksuk, which symbolizes the stone monuments used throughout Nunavut as landmarks. In the upper right is a blue star on a white field representing the North Star, the traditional guide for navigation. The left side of the inuksuk is gold.

TIME: 8 AM AST = noon GMT; 7 AM EST = noon GMT; 6 AM CST = noon GMT; 5 AM MST = noon GMT. 1 LOCATION AND SIZE Nunavut was formerly a part of the Northwest Territories until 1999, when it became a separate territory. Nunavut is the largest political subdivision in Canada, with 18 percent of the total area of the country. Nunavut has a total area of 708,434 square miles (1.83 million square kilometers), about eight times the size of the United Kingdom. Nunavut includes most of Canada north of the 60th parallel, except the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and portions of Québec and Newfoundland. Nunavut is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean and polar ice; on the northeast and east by Baffin Bay and Davis Strait; on the southeast by Hudson Strait and Hudson Bay; on the south by Manitoba; and on the west by the Northwest Territories. From the 60th parallel, Nunavut stretches 2,212 miles (3,560 kilometers) to the North Pole.

Nunavut covers 870,424 square miles (2,254,402 square kilometers) and includes the islands in Hudson, James, and Ungava Bays. Across the Kennedy Channel in the far northeast, Greenland lies less than 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Nunavut's Ellesmere Island. Canada's geographic center is in Nunavut, about 19 miles northeast of Baker Lake. The North Magnetic Pole (the place on Earth at which a compass needle actually points) is located off the coast of Bathurst Island. 2 TOPOGRAPHY The landscape of Nunavut has been shaped by ice sheets and glaciers, which carved out deep valleys and fjords. Upon melting, ancient ice sheets deposited an assortment of clay, stones, boulders, and ridges of sand and gravel. Today, glaciers and ice caps cover about 57,900 square miles (150,000 square kilometers) of Nunavut. However, in the 21st century, rising temperatures, retreating sea ice, and thawing permafrost are altering the landscape of Nunavut.

Major mainland rivers include the Back and Coppermine, which flow north to the Arctic coast. The Thelon, Kazan, and Dubawnt rivers flow into Hudson Bay. Permafrost prevents runoff from soaking into the ground, causing rivers and streams to flow rapidly after the spring thaw. Nunavut's highest ground is found on Baffin Island and Ellesmere Island, where many peaks rise 4,900 feet (1,500 meters) to 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) above sea level. The highest mountain is Mount Barbeau, at 8,583 feet (2,616 meters) on northern Ellesmere Island. Nunavut Population Profile ) in 1991 at Kugluktuk (formerly Coppermine). The record cold temperature of -51° F C ) was recorded at Iqaluit. Annual precipitation ranges from less than 3.9 inches (100 millimeters) around Ellesmere Island to 23.6 inches (600 millimeters) on southern Baffin Island.

Most of Nunavut receives less than 11.8 inches (300 millimeters) of precipitation per year. 4 PLANTS AND ANIMALS A short but intense summer produces many small but brilliant flowers, including purple saxifrage, sedge, louseworts, fireweed, and wintergreen. Other common flowers in the south include dandelions, chamomile daisies, harebells, and buttercups. About 200 species of flowers grow north of the tree line. The animal population in Nunavut includes mammals such as the caribou, muskox, barren-ground grizzly bear, wolf, wolverine, fox, ermine, lemming, and hare. Caribou alone outnumber Nunavut's human population 25 to 1. Common marine mammals include seals, walruses, whales (including belugas, narwhals, bowhead whales, killer whales, blue whales, and sperm whales), and polar bears.

Bird species include gyrfalcon, snowy and short-eared owl, rough-legged hawk, golden eagle, ptarmigan, jaeger, snow goose, pintail and long-tailed duck, goldeneye, lesser scaup, and green-winged teal. Fish include lake trout, arctic grayling, arctic char, walleye, whitefish, and northern pike. Mosquitoes breed in the shallow tundra lakes. 5 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION The Arctic Environmental Strategy introduced by the federal government in 1991 as part of its Green Plan involves northerners in projects to protect the arctic environment. It also supports communities in the development of their own plans to deal with environmental issues. A study released in 2000 for the first time linked dioxide pollution in Canada's arctic regions to specific sources in Canada, Mexico, and the US. A research team identified dioxide pollution at eight locations in Nunavut. Nunavut itself has no significant sources of dioxin. US waste incinerators, together with cement kilns burning hazardous waste as fuel, and metal processing facilities, were the main sources of dioxin reaching Nunavut.

US facilities were found to have contributed between 70 and 82 percent of dioxin deposited at the eight locations in Nunavut. Canadian facilities contributed 11–25 percent, while Mexican emissions contributed 5–11 percent. 6 POPULATION Nunavut had a population of 26,745 in 2001, the smallest population of any province or territory. Iqaluit, the capital, had a population of 5,236 in 2001. The population of Nunavut is by far the youngest among the provinces. Nunavut's median age was 22.1 years in 2001. The national average was 37.6. Young people age 19 and under accounted for 47 percent of the province's population. Seniors over age 65 accounted for only 2 percent. At the national level, 13 percent of the population is over age 65. 7 ETHNIC GROUPS Nunavut is the only place in Canada where most of the population (86.2 percent) are Aboriginals (Native Peoples); they live mostly in small communities.

The largest Aboriginal group is the Inuit (singular: Inuk), which means "the preeminent people" in Inuktitut, accounting for 84.8 percent of the total. In the past, Inuit were called "Eskimos," an uncomplimentary Cree word that means "eaters of raw meat." Dene live mostly in the west. The Métis are descendants of Inuit and ethnic European parentage and comprise 0.3 percent of the territory's population. Non-Aboriginal ethnicities accounted for 13.5 percent of the population, including Scots, Irish, and French. 8 LANGUAGES Nunavut has four official languages: English, French, Inuinnaqtun, and Inuktitut. In 2001, only 26 percent of the territory's residents claimed English as their native language. Inuktitut was the first language for 70 percent of the population. Inuit communities are often a mixture of people from different cultural and linguistic areas, but most have characteristic dialects. Inuktitut uses a syllabic alphabet originally developed for the Cree by Anglican missionaries and modified for the Inuit in the 19th century.

Most Inuit children learn Inuktitut as their mother tongue. 9 RELIGIONS About 67 percent of the population of Nunavut—or 17,785 people—are Protestant, most of whom are Anglicans, but members of the United Church of Canada, Pentecostals, Baptists, Lutherans, and Presbyterians are also represented. The territory also has 6,215 Catholics. There are less than 50 people each of the following: Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Hindus. About 1,655 people have no religious affiliation. Shamanism is the native religion of the Inuit, and its practice is increasing. 10 TRANSPORTATION Unlike the NWT, Nunavut has few roads connecting communities. Many residents use snowmobiles or all-terrain vehicles for overland transportation. Permafrost makes construction of paved roads difficult. In the Qikiqtaluk (Baffin) Region, the 13-mile (21-kilometer) route between Arctic Bay and Nanisivik is the only road between two towns. Some communities in the Kitikmeot Region have a local network of unpaved roads.

There are no roads directly connecting the Kivalliq Region with southern Canada. There were 3,307 registered motor vehicles in 2003, 14 registered buses, 41 registered motorcycles and mopeds, and 71 registered trailers. Many Inuit people use all-terrain vehicles to get around Nunavut. EPD Photos/Peter Langer First Air, based in Iqaluit, provides jet service to more than a dozen locations throughout the northern archipelago (group of islands), as well as Ottawa, Montreal, and Nuuk, Greenland. Air Inuit flies from Cape Dorset and Sanikiluaq to points along the northwestern coast of Québec and to Montréal. NWT Air and Canadian North also provide air service. 11 HISTORY Exploring the Arctic Islands The first Inuit (the name given to Eskimos in Canada) are believed to have come from across the Bering Strait, which separates Asia and North America, on a land bridge about 5,000 years ago. They spread east along the Arctic coast and were the only people in the area for thousands of years.

The Vikings of Europe sailed to the eastern Arctic islands about AD 1000, but they did not remain there and consequently had little impact on the region. It was not until the 1570s that serious exploration of the northernmost part of North America began under the leadership of Englishman Martin Frobisher. In 1610, English explorer Henry Hudson—while looking for a passage to Asia—landed briefly on the western shore of the bay that now bears his name. Five years after Hudson's arrival, William Baffin and Robert Bylot mapped the Baffin coastal region in detail. Baffin Island, which is located south of Greenland, was virtually ignored during the following two centuries, as it was too cold and barren to be of interest to Europeans, but their discoveries opened the door for future exploration of northern Canada. With the arrival of fur traders in the late 1700s and whalers in the 1800s, life in the region began to change substantially. The Europeans reshaped the North, bringing with them a new economy and a way of life much different than that of the Inuit. Communities grew around trading posts, mission schools, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police stations.

In 1821, English explorer William Edward Parry spent two winters exploring and mapping the Igloolik area and helped establish friendly relations with the Inuit. In the mid-1840s, Sir John Franklin led several unsuccessful expeditions in search of the Northwest Passage (an ice-free sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic). In 1870, as the whaling industry began to decline rapidly, the British government transferred control of what were then called the Northwest Territories to Canada. This included land that would one day become Nunavut. Ten years later, the British government added the scattered islands of the Arctic, which also became part of the Territories. The westernmost regions of Nunavut were the last to be explored by non-Inuit voyagers. The High Cost of European Influence During the 1920s and 1930s, missionaries—very eager to convert the Inuit to Christianity—began to establish the first residential schools. They took children as young as age 5 away from their families to live at these schools and immerse them in the Christian way of life. Many traditional beliefs and cultural practices of the Inuit people were lost as a result.

The missionaries were also responsible for establishing some of the first hospitals in the territory. By World War II (1939–45), mineral exploration (notably the development of nickel mines) and the military were also playing a role in northern Canadian development. The US Air Force constructed an airbase at Frobisher Bay (now Iqaluit) as part of a supply link to Europe, making it the commercial center for the Baffin region. In the 1950s, northern Canada was viewed as an important defensive area separating North America from what was then the Soviet Union. Nunavut Land Claims The issue of settling aboriginal land claims in the Northwest Territories took up much of the 1960s and 1970s. By 1976, the Inuit people had called for the creation of a separate territory, the Nunavut territory. Four years later, in 1980, the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly voted in favor of dividing the territory to create Nunavut. Any such move would require federal approval, however, and negotiations for this continued for many years.

The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement of 1993 authorized the creation of the new territory of Nunavut, with the federal government splitting the Northwest Territories into two parts on 1 April 1999 (the eastern portion being the new territory). The agreement gave the Inuit rights to 355,842 square kilometers (137,355 square miles or 19% of Nunavut's total area), with mineral rights to 35,257 square kilometers (13,069 square miles). In addition, the federal government agreed to pay the Inuit C $1.148 billion between 1993 and 2007. The Inuit also received territorial hunting rights, a greater role in the management of land and the environment, and a share of government royalties from oil, gas, and minerals extracted from federal lands. The Bathurst Mandate Pinasuaqtavut is a government plan outlining future goals for the territory. There are four main goals: healthy communities, simplicity and unity, self-reliance, and continuing learning.

Premier Paul Okalik in 2004 was attempting to put those goals into action to improve the lives of Nunavut citizens. 12 PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT Nunavut is unique in North America as it has the first government to be administered primarily by Native people. As in the NWT and the Yukon, political power rests with elected representatives. Executive power is held by a 19-seat elected legislature. This assembly then appoints the premier for the territorial government. Besides Iqaluit, the decentralized territorial government also has administrative offices in Rankin Inlet, Cambridge Bay, Cape Dorset, Arviat, Gjoa Haven, Kugluktuk, Pangnirtung, Baker Lake, and Pond Inlet. 13 POLITICAL PARTIES The first election was held on 15 February 1999. Of Nunavut's 12,210 eligible voters, 88 percent participated in the province's first election. The second election was held on 16 February 2004 to elect 19 members of the Legislative Assembly. Nunavut operates on a consensus government system, with no political parties.

Premiers of Nunavut Paul Okalik 14 LOCAL GOVERNMENT Nunavut is divided into three administrative regions: Qikiqtaluk, which includes Baffin Island and the northern archipelago (group of islands) and islands in Hudson Bay; Kivalliq, which covers southern Nunavut; and Kitik meot in the west. 15 JUDICIAL SYSTEM The Canadian Constitution grants territorial and provincial jurisdiction over the administration of justice, and allows each territory and province to organize its own Iqaluit, on Frobisher Bay, is an urban Inuit settlement. Iqaluit is the capital of the new territory of Nunavut, which formerly was the eastern part of the Northwest Territories until 1999. Douglas Walker, Economic Development & Tourism, GNWT. court system and police forces. The federal government has exclusive domain over cases involving trade and commerce, banking, bankruptcy, and criminal law. The Federal Court of Canada has both trial and appellate divisions for federal cases. The nine-judge Supreme Court of Canada is an appellate court that determines the constitutionality of both federal and territorial statutes. The Tax Court of Canada hears appeals of taxpayers against assessments by Revenue Canada.

The territorial court system consists of the Nunavut Court of Justice. It is Canada's first and only single level court, which handles cases that otherwise would be tried in both territorial courts and territorial supreme courts. In 2002, there were 2 homicides in Nunavut. That year, there were 7,094 violent crimes per 100,000 persons, and 6,105 property crimes per 100,000 persons. 16 MIGRATION Nunavut has been occupied continuously for more than 4,000 years. Paleoeskimo people emigrated from what is now Alaska in small groups beginning 4,000 years ago to as recently as 700 years ago. Another wave of migration came 1,000 years ago when whale-hunting Neoeskimo people entered Nunavut. In 2001, 27.8 percent of the 450 immigrants living in Nunavut had come from the United Kingdom, 12.2 percent from the United States, and 11.1 percent from Northern and Western European countries other than the United Kingdom.

Many immigrants in recent years have come from the Philippines and Germany. In 2001, 0.5 of the residents of Nunavut age 5 and older were living abroad. Some 8.1 percent were living elsewhere in the territory, while 10.8 percent were living in another province. 17 ECONOMY The traditional subsistence activities of the Inuit—fishing, hunting, and trapping—have an impact on the territorial economy. Fur harvesting continues to be very important, supplementing the income of many Inuit families. Until the mid-1960s, some parts of Nunavut maintained a subsistence economy, surviving from hunting and fishing, exchanging furs for small items from trading posts. Hunting seals for their fur was a major industry in Nunavut until the 1970s, when public sentiment and political lobbying caused the United States and several countries in Europe to ban imports of marine mammal products. As a result, joblessness increased and Nunavut's economy lost some C $2 million per year. Inuit arts and crafts distribute a greater amount of income more widely than any other economic activity.

With the new territorial status of Nunavut, construction in the Iqaluit area is booming, with new commercial buildings, apartments, and the legislative building. In 2002, Nunavut had a gross domestic product (GDP) of C In 2003, the total value of mineral production was C $29.9 million, with gold and silver accounting for virtually all of this amount. Nunavut's Polaris lead-zinc mine on Little Cornwallis Island was the most northerly base-metal mine in the world. The Polaris mine shut down in 2002. 26 ENERGY AND POWER Oil and gas exploration and development are important to the territory's economy, but the industry is open to wide fluctuations in world markets. It is estimated that about C $65 million was invested in Nunavut in 1999 by the mineral exploration industry. Nunavut has 23 percent of Canada's estimated natural gas reserves, worth more than C $1 trillion. It also possesses 10 percent of Canada's oil reserves, but petroleum exploration companies did not explore the territory in 2003 for a third year in a row.

It is expensive to drill in Nunavut, and the land is not easily accessible. Nunavut has 614 million barrels of recoverable oil. It also has 12.4 trillion cubic feet (0.35 million cubic meters) of recoverable natural gas. The Sverdrup Basin, 800 kilometers (497.1 miles) north of Cambridge Bay, was the site of past petroleum production activity. The Drake Point natural gas discovery is among the largest in Canada, but there is no economical way to extract the gas. 27 COMMERCE In 2002, total merchandise exports for the Nunavut, the NWT, and the Yukon Inukshuk—the word means "like a person"—were built by the Inuit to simulate a man and were placed in such a way as to lead or drive the caribou herds to a place of ambush. They are also used as landmarks. Dan Heringa, Economic Development & Tourism, GNWT. amounted to $1.1 billion. Total imports for the three territories amounted to C $65 million. The major export markets were Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and Finland.

The major import suppliers were the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. Over 83 percent of merchandise exports from the three territories were pearls and precious stones (including diamonds). Inuit arts and crafts account for a great amount of retail income in Nunavut, spread out over a wide geographical area. Services related to tourism have become increasingly important sources of income. 28 PUBLIC FINANCE Yukon Territory YUKON TERRITORY City vs City: Compare cities in the U.S. by population, crime, education and other data. Compare: vs. Go! ORIGIN OF NAME: The name Yukon was first used by the Hudson's Bay Company trader John Bell in 1846. He called it "Yucon," derived from the Loucheux Indian word Yuchoo, meaning "the greatest river." ORGANIZED: 13 June 1898. CAPITAL: Whitehorse. COAT OF ARMS: The blue and white wavy vertical stripes symbolize the Yukon River, while the twin red peaks represent the mountains and the gold circles stand for the mineral wealth of the territory. The red Cross of St.

George honors the early British explorers and traders; the patterned circle centered on the cross represents fur trading. The crest is topped by a black and white malamute dog, which played an important role in the early history and development of the Yukon. FLAG: Is divided into three panels: green at the mast (symbolizing forests), white in the center (representing snow), and blue at the fly (signifying water). On the white panel (which is 50 percent wider than the other two panels) the territorial coat of arms appears above a wreath of fireweed. FLORAL EMBLEM: Fireweed. TARTAN: Green, dark blue, magenta, yellow, and white on a light blue background. TERRITORIAL BIRD: Common raven. TIME: 4 AM PST = noon GMT. 1 LOCATION AND SIZE The Yukon Territory in Canada's northwest covers 186,660 square miles (483,450 square kilometers). The perimeters of this mountainous territory form a rough triangle bordered on the east by the Northwest Territories, on the south by British Columbia, and on the west by the US state of Alaska.

The northern tip of the triangle meets the chilly waters of the Beaufort Sea. Mount Logan, Canada's highest peak (and North America's second-highest) at 19,537 feet (5,951 meters), is located in southwestern Yukon. 2 TOPOGRAPHY The Yukon can be divided into two broad geographical regions: taiga and tundra. Taiga is the boreal forest belt (typified by stands of pine, aspen, poplar, and birch trees) that circles the world in the subarctic zone, including most of the Yukon. Tundra is the vast, rocky plain in the arctic regions, where the extreme climate has stunted vegetation. The Yukon River is the fifth-longest in North America. 3 CLIMATE The Yukon has a subarctic climate. The high altitude of much of the territory and the semiarid climate provide relatively warm summers with temperatures frequently reaching 77° F 401 5 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION The Yukon Department of the Environment oversees the management and use of the province's renewable resources and environment.

Releases of nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide (gases that cause smog) annually total around 17,000 tons, while emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide compounds annually amount to some 2,000 tons. About 3 percent of the territorial budget is spent on maintaining environmental and natural resources. In 2001, the Yukon government, the Canadian government, and two non-profit community groups were working together to reduce the amount of computer equipment going to local landfills. 6 POPULATION As of 2001, 28,674 people lived in the Yukon; only Nunavut had a smaller population. Whitehorse, Yukon's capital city, had a population of 16,843 in 2001. Major towns include Dawson City, Watson Lake, and Haines Junction. Between 1991 and 2001, the median age of Yukon's population grew from 31.0 years to 36.1 years. The national average was 37.6 years. Seniors aged 65 and older accounted for only 6 percent of the population.

7 ETHNIC GROUPS Some 22 percent of the population are Aboriginals (Native Peoples). The Yukon's vast interior forests were occupied by the Athapaskans, whose cultural and linguistic traditions go back more than 1,000 years. The distinct groups of Athapaskan Indians are Gwitch'in, Han, Tutchone, Upper Tanana, Kaska, and Tagish. The Tlingit people were originally from the coast. 8 LANGUAGES In 2001, English was reported as the mother tongue of 86.2 percent of the Yukon's residents, while 3.1 percent declared French as their first language and 9.6 percent had other first languages (mostly Athapaskan dialects). About 1.1 percent of the population spoke two or more languages. 9 RELIGIONS Over 33 percent of the population—or about 9,485 people—are Protestant, including Anglicans, members of the United Church of Canada, Baptists, Lutherans, Pentecostals, and Presbyterians. The Yukon also has about 6,015 Catholics.

There are 150 people or fewer of each of the following: Eastern Orthodox, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Hindus. About 38.6 percent of the population—nearly 11,015 people—have no religious affiliation. 10 TRANSPORTATION During World War II (1939–45), the United States built the Alaska Highway, creating a new overland transportation route. The Alaska Highway traverses southern Yukon and links Watson Lake with Whitehorse before continuing on to Alaska. In 1979, the Canadian government opened the Dempster Highway, Canada's first all-weather road to cross the Arctic Circle. The paved Klondike Highway links Dawson with Whitehorse and is the primary north-south road. In 2003, the Yukon had 27,118 registered road motor vehicles, 257 buses, 448 motorcycles and mopeds, and 7,168 trailers. 11 HISTORY Exploration of the Yukon Eighteenth-century Russian traders were the first modern Europeans to travel to the area now known as the Yukon Territory.

Dawson City on the Yukon River is Yukon's second-largest town. EPD Photos/Peter Langer This frigid stretch of northwest Canadian land borders the American state of Alaska. The English explorer Sir John Franklin anchored off the Yukon's Arctic coastline back in 1825. The Hudson's Bay Company moved into the interior in the 1840s, and American traders began arriving in the late 1860s. Around the same time, visitors of another kind arrived in the Yukon. Missionaries from the Catholic and Anglican churches—eager to convert the region's native people to Christianity—set up missions along the fur trade route. In 1865, Anglican missionary William Bom-pass arrived in the area. He eventually became the first bishop of the Yukon diocese and was also notable for the many schools he established in the region. The Yukon was part of the Northwest Territories at this time, and when Great Britain gave the Northwest Territories to Canada in 1870, the Yukon was included in the deal.

In 1896, a major gold discovery was made near Dawson City by prospector George Carmack and two native North Americans, Skookum Jim and Tagish Charlie. News of the discovery reached other parts of North America and Europe the next year, prompting huge numbers of prospectors (explorers searching for gold) to make their way to the Klondike region of the Yukon. The Gold Rush Dawson City, located on the bank of the Yukon and Klondike rivers, was no more than a small frontier settlement before the gold rush. By 1898, however, its population had grown to 40,000, making it the largest city west of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. To serve this growing population, numerous dance halls, saloons, hotels, and boarding houses sprang up in Dawson City, but crime accompanied the economic boom in the area. The Canadian federal government decided to give the Yukon more control over its own affairs. In 1898, the Yukon Territory was officially established, and Dawson City became the capital of the province. As gold resources became depleted and prospectors left to seek their fortunes at other locations, the territory's growth came to a screeching halt.

Between 1901 and 1911, the Yukon's population fell from 27,000 to only 8,500. Some mining did continue—coal was found at Carmacks, and silver and lead mining began around 1913—but there was little to attract new industry to the Yukon or to encourage settlement there. During World War II (1939-1945), though, the Yukon Territory generated a lot of interest. The American government, fearing a Japanese invasion from the West, wanted to build a road to connect Alaska with the other US states. With Canada's permission, construction of the 2,325-kilometer-long Alaska Highway began in 1942. This project brought thousands of temporary citizens to the Yukon, as did the Canadian Oil Pipeline, also constructed during World War II. By 1951, the Yukon's population had grown to 9,000, and in 1953, Whitehorse—with a larger population than Dawson City and a better location on the Alaska Highway—became the province's new capital.

The 1950s and 1960s saw the construction of a major hydroelectric plant in Whitehorse, the beginning of the construction of the Dempster Highway, and the growth of employment opportunities in tourism and government services. Slowly, the Yukon's population increased. Native American Land Claims Yukon Indian land claims became a heated issue in the 1970s. The native people stated that since the time of European settlement, their culture, land rights, and ways of life had been threatened. It was not until 1993 that the Council for Yukon Indians, the Government of Canada, and the Yukon territorial government signed an Umbrella Final Agreement that set out the terms for final land claim settlements in the Territory. This and similar agreements with other tribes have served to protect the rights of the region's Native Americans. In 1993, the Canada-Yukon Oil and Gas Accord was signed, granting control over onshore oil and gas resources to the Yukon government. Other agreements have been signed to transfer authority and control in forestry, fishery, and transportation. Economic development remains a challenge in the Yukon, however.

The mineral industry is still the basis of the territory's economy, and the government continues its work to strengthen other industries such as renewable resources and tourism. In 2004, the Yukon was aiming to build a sustainable and competitive economy. The Yukon was looking forward to developing regional, national, and global markets for its goods and services. With abundant natural resources and hardy and talented people, the Yukon was looking optimistically to the future. 12 PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT In the Yukon, political power rests with elected representatives. Although a federally appointed commissioner is technically in charge of the administration, the role of that office has diminished and generally follows the lead of the elected territorial government. An 18-seat assembly serves as the legislative body, operating under the political party system. The premier (until 2000 called the government leader) is the leader of the majority party of the assembly's elected representatives. An executive council, which operates much like a provincial cabinet, consists of appointees of the commissioner who were recommended by the government leader. As a territory, the Yukon does not have full provincial status, although it achieved a style of government similar to that of the provinces in 1979.

13 POLITICAL PARTIES As of the election held on 4 November 2002, standings in the Yukon Legislative Assembly by political party were as follows: Liberal Party, 1; New Democratic Party, 5; and Yukon Party, 12. Commissioners of Yukon Territory $1 million a year. 23 FISHING A small fishing industry operates in Dawson City to export salmon. Other commercial fisheries supply local consumers. In 2000, 4,835 residents were actively engaged in sport fishing within the province. 24 FORESTRY About 57 percent of the total land area is covered by forests. The federal government owns all the forest land. To reduce A miner pans for gold near Dawson. During the Klondike gold rush of 1898, Dawson's population swelled to 30,000, making it the biggest city north of San Francisco at the time. Canadian Tourism Commission photo. reliance on the mining, tourism, and governmental sectors, efforts have been made to promote the forest industry.

The total timber harvest in 2001 was over 1,271,000 cubic feet (36,000 cubic meters). The value of forest product exports in 2002 was C $691,211. 25 MINING The principal minerals and metals produced in the Yukon are gold, silver, and sand and gravel. Gold was discovered in 1896 in the Klondike district. Mining is important to the Yukon. The total value of production in 2003 was C What are the 3 territories of Canada? What are the 3 territories of Canada? What are the 3 territories of Canada? Canada�s provinces and territories together unite to form the second largest country in the world. There are three territories in Canada. The Canadian territories do not have any inherent jurisdiction. They enjoy only those powers which the federal government bestows upon them. The territories of Canada are located in mainland Canada, latitude 60 degree north as well as in the west of Hudson Bay. It also includes areas extending from James Bay to Canadian Arctic Islands.

The three territories of Canada are: � Nunavut � Yukon � Northwest Territories Nunavut: The final territory to be formed in Canada was Nunavut on April 1, 1999. Nunavut is the largest of the three territories of Canada occupying about one fifth part of land mass of Canada. The two large islands in Canada are Ellesmere Island and Baffin Island. Iqaluit is the capital of Nunavut. The aboriginals called the Inuit consist of the major percentage of this territory�s population. Winters are usually very long and cold in Nunavut. The chief industries in this area are mining , fishing, tourism, packaging of raw meat and fish. Yukon: This is the smallest territory in Canada. It is situated in the northwestern corner of the country. Earliest settlement in this area happened with aboriginals migrating from Asia who fished, hunted, and trapped for a living. The economy mainly rests on mining, tourism. Northwest Territories: This is the second amongst the three territories in Canada in terms of size. The capital city of Northwest Territories is Yellowknife . The Inuit and Dene groups of people were the first to reside in this region.

Tourism and exploration of oil along with natural gas are the primary resources of this area. Nunavut Map / Geography of Nunavut / Map of Nunavut - Worldatlas.com Nunavut Description Nunavut History The Inuit people have continuously populated the forbiddingly beautiful arctic territory of Nunavut for 4,000 years. Nunavut means "our land" in Inuktitut and is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada. Most historians believe the area was first explored by Norse explorers around 1000 AD, yet written history began in 1576. While in search of the legendary Northwest Passage, English sailor Martin Frobisher found what he thought was gold on Baffin Island. The ore turned out to be worthless, but the incident was significant as Frobisher made the first recorded European contact with the Inuit . Unfortunately, the encounter was hostile and both sides took prisoners. In the 17th century other explorers including Henry Hudson, William Baffin, and Robert Bylot came upon Nunavut in their unsuccessful attempts to find the Northwest Passage.

1900's Nunavut Since explorers began stumbling upon Nunavut on their quest for the Northwest Passage, this area has always had a significant geopolitical position. During World War II, Nunavut's Baffin Island became a transit point for materials heading to Europe. As Cold War tensions grew in the 1950s, a Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line station was built in Nunavut. The DEW Line was a system of radar stations in the Canadian Arctic set up to warn of Soviet advances. On July 9, 1993 the boundaries of Nunavut Territory were established. Then on April 1, 1999, Nunavut was officially separated from the Northwest Territories with the passing of the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act. Nunavut Today Spread over an area the size of Western Europe , Nunavut has a population of less than 30,000, mostly Inuit. Nunavut is also home to the town of Alert, the northernmost permanent settlement in the world.

Just 508 miles from the North Pole , Alert has five permanent inhabitants according to the 2006 census. Modern Nunavut is not much different from how it was thousands of years ago. Unspoiled landscapes and breathtaking wildlife abound in this land that is one of the last frontiers. The Inuit people tell the same stories of adventures, hunts, and gods that they have been telling for generations. Inuit culture is very much alive here and Inuktitut language is the first language taught in Nunavut schools. The Arctic Adventure Located on Baffin Island, the capital city of Iqaluit is the seat of the province's legislature and hosts Inuit ceremonies of dance and drums, and is home to the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum of history and culture. Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park near Iqaluit is a vast protected reserve, restricted from development or hunting, perfect for wildlife photographer and outdoor sports enthusiasts. Nunavut is a dream destination for people seeking an outdoor adventure, offering some of the best and most unique hunting experiences on the planet.

Grizzly bear, caribou, walrus and even polar bear hunts are available, conducted by traditional methods using dog teams and camping on the ice. This arctic territory boasts unspoiled land and sea for Canadian vacation activities like hiking, camping, canoeing, and kayaking. From April to July, Nunavut is home to one of nature's most magnificent landscapes the "floe edge." As the sea meets the retreating ice edge, whales swim just feet from shore, walruses and seals haul themselves out of the sea to bask in the sun and massive icebergs slowly float by. From its unique Inuit culture to its awesome untouched scenery, Nunavut is a true Canadian adventure. CITY ATTRACTIONS & MAPS: Nunavut Nunavut Geography Expert By Matt Rosenberg Despite the fact that only thirteen percent of Canadians were aware of its existence, Canada gained a new territory on April 1, 1999. This new territory, called Nunavut, was carved from the eastern part of Canada's Northwest Territories. Nunavut, which means "our land" in the Inuit language, is the first self-governing indigenous territory in North America.

A 19-member legislative council governs this territory. Nunavut covers one-fifth of Canada's land area but at 22,000 people, includes less than one percent of its population. Eighty-five percent of Nunavut's residents are indigenous Inuit. The new capital city of Iqaluit (Nunavut's largest city with a population of 4,000) lies less than three degrees south of the Arctic Circle. In June it receives twenty-four hours of daylight and in December receives only six hours of daylight. Iqaluit is one of twenty-eight settlements in Nunavut. The region's primary communications are radiophones that are often unusable due to solar disruption. continue reading below our video What are the Seven Wonders of the World The new territory is not linked by road to southern Canada and the primary means of transportation to the Canadian core, as well as between villages, is by airplane. The territorial government consists of approximately 2,200 employees (one-tenth of the total population). The government has the challenge of dealing with low levels of economic activity and high rates of unemployment, alcoholism, drug abuse, and suicide.

The Canadian federal government heavily subsidizes the territory. Today, Canada is divided into ten, quasi-autonomous provinces and three territories. The ten provinces are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Price Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and Yukon Territory are the three territories. Geo Map - Canada - Nunavut | Canada - Vector stencils library | Geo Map - Canada - Ontario | Nunavut Canada Geo Map - Canada - Nunavut Geo Map - Canada - Nunavut Nunavut is the largest, northernmost and newest territory of Canada. The vector stencils library Nunavut contains contours for ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software. This library is contained in the Continent Maps solution from Maps area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. Canada - Vector stencils library The vector stencils library "Canada" contains 15 map contours for drawing thematic maps of Canada. Use it for visual representation of geospatial information, statistics and quantitative data. "The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area.

Originally three provinces of British North America, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada (which would become Ontario and Quebec) united to form the new nation. Since then, Canada's external borders have changed several times, and has grown from four initial provinces to ten provinces and three territories as of 1999. The ten provinces are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. The three territories are Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon." [Provinces and territories of Canada. Wikipedia] The map contours example "Canada - Vector stencils library" was created using the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the Continent Maps solution from the Maps area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. Canada Canada - Vector stencils library The vector stencils library "Canada" contains 15 map contours for drawing thematic maps of Canada. Use it for visual representation of geospatial information, statistics and quantitative data. "The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area.

Originally three provinces of British North America, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada (which would become Ontario and Quebec) united to form the new nation. Since then, Canada's external borders have changed several times, and has grown from four initial provinces to ten provinces and three territories as of 1999. The ten provinces are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. The three territories are Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon." [Provinces and territories of Canada. Wikipedia] The map contours example "Canada - Vector stencils library" was created using the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the Continent Maps solution from the Maps area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. Canada Design elements - Management map Canada This sample displays state map contours with capitals and major cities of Canada provinces and territories. Use it to design your management infographics. "The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. ... The ten provinces are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.

The three territories are Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon." [Canada. Wikipedia] The infogram shapes example "Design elements - Management map Canada" was created using the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the Management Infographics solition from the area "Business Infographics" in ConceptDraw Solution Park. Canada state map contours Canada regions - Political map "The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. Originally three provinces of British North America, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada (which would become Ontario and Quebec) united to form the new nation. Since then, Canada's external borders have changed several times, and has grown from four initial provinces to ten provinces and three territories as of 1999. The ten provinces are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. The three territories are Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon." [Provinces and territories of Canada. Wikipedia] This political map was redesigned from Wikipedia file: Canada regions map.svg.

[commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canada_regions_map.svg] The political map example "Canada regions" was created using ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with Continent Maps solution from Maps area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. Political map - Canada regions Canada - Vector stencils library The vector stencils library "Canada" contains 15 map contours for drawing thematic maps of Canada. Use it for visual representation of geospatial information, statistics and quantitative data. "The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. Originally three provinces of British North America, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada (which would become Ontario and Quebec) united to form the new nation. Since then, Canada's external borders have changed several times, and has grown from four initial provinces to ten provinces and three territories as of 1999. The ten provinces are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. The three territories are Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon." [Provinces and territories of Canada.

Wikipedia] The map contours example "Canada - Vector stencils library" was created using the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the Continent Maps solution from the Maps area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. Canada Who Owns the World » Canada Who Owns the World CANADA This submission was prepared by Kay Cahill FRSA, BSc (Econ) and Jennifer Copley BFA BEd. of the Infodemons Information Consultancy (Canada) and edited by Kevin Cahill Canada is a kingdom, also called a dominion, whose head of state is a Queen, Elizabeth 11. She is also Queen of the United Kingdom and of 32 other countries and territories. Canada was taken from France for the Crown of Great Britain following a battle near Quebec in 1759. The country retains a strong French influence especially in Quebec province, and has two official languages, English and French. Population of Canada. 2005 census, 32.2 million people. The capital of Canada is Ottowa. Population of the capital 1,063,044. Canada is an independent kingdom and a member of the Commonwealth.

Canada became a Dominion in 1867 and received a new Constitution in 1982 by way of amendment to the Canada Act of 1867. Total area of Canada: 2,467 million acres Of this area 2,247 million acres is land and 220 million acres are fresh water. The Europa World Yearbook 2004 describes Canada’s land area as the second largest in the world, after Russia. The ownership factor is 1. The Queen is the sole legal owner of all the land of Canada. The private “holdership” factor, based on freehold tenure of housing is 67%. For all other land it is less than 9.7%, with over 90% of Canadian land remaining as Crown leasehold, administered for the Crown by various agencies and departments of the government of Canada GNI in 2005 was $28,390 and Canada ranked 21 in the World Bank list In the Economist Quality of Life survey Canada scored 7.59 and was ranked 21 out of 111 countries.

About 79% of the Canadian population is urban and there is no basic poverty in Canada. There are 75.9 acres per person in Canada. How Canada is owned All physical land in Canada is the property of the Crown, Queen Elisabeth 11. There is no provision in the Canada Act, or in the Constitution Act 1982 which amends it, for any Canadian to own any physical land in Canada. All that Canadians may hold, in conformity with medieval and feudal law, is “an interest in an estate in land in fee simple”. Land defined as ‘Crown land’ in Canada, and administered by the Federal Government and the Provinces, is merely land not ‘dedicated’ or assigned in freehold tenure. Freehold is tenure, not ownership. Freehold land is ‘held’ not ‘owned’. Canada, a vast territory dominating the north of the North American continent, was colonised by the British from 1497 when Cabot left Bristol and reached New Foundland. Subsequently, most of Canada fell under French control. In 1759, at the result of a single battle at Quebec, Britain took Canada from the French.

In 1867 Canada became the first Crown colony to obtain self government within the Empire as a Dominion. Throughout most of the 19th century, it was the stated policy of the American political parties to annex Canada. They were prevented from doing so only by the threat of British sea power. Canada is now, with Britain, America’s closest ally, despite some differences. The policy of annexing Canada has been shelved because not even America could afford the bill from the Crown, about $16 trillion. Canada is a federation of 13 provinces. Land in Canada Just 9.7% of the land of Canada is privately held. The majority of the land, 90.3%, is Crown Land, otherwise known as Public Land. Of this, 50% is Crown land administered by the Provincial governments and 40.3% is Crown land administered by the federal government. Canada is on of the greatest land resources on the earth, and one of the most beautiful. There is more unused land in Canada than almost anywhere else on the planet. To give an indication of the relative size of Canada’s provinces are here ranked opposite the countries they are closest to in size with their associated populations.

Census 2000. 246,338,000 The total acreage here is based on the sum of the Canadian provinces as officially cited in the Canadian Government web site. (2,467,264.640 acres) There is a difference of about 6 million acres between this total and the official size of Canada as cited in the Europa World Yearbook. This is a difference of 0.2% and is accounted for by variations in survey methods. Principal uses of land in Canada: National Parks There are 43 National Parks in Canada, which cover a total of 55,465,548 acres, or 2.2% of the total area of Canada. Agriculture Farms cover a total of 166,798,546 acres in Canada. There are a total of 246,923 farms, with an average size of 674.5 acres. 235,131 farms covering a total of 62,359,984 acres are privately held.

The remainder, covering 104,438,561acres, are rented or leased from others. Private homes There are a total of 11,562,975 dwellings in Canada. Of these, 7,417,525 are held in freehold tenure by the resident homeowner. 64% of Canadians hold their own home. Mining Mining companies operate in all Canadian provinces. The main minerals mined are gold, copper, zinc, lead, coal, oil and natural gas. Most mining land is leased, on Crown leases. Forestry Forest and All Other Wooded Land in Canada Provincial Portion by Province: Unclassified: 19,768 acres total (17,297 acres in Quebec and 2,471 acres in Alberta) 45% (45 percent – 1,031,889,600 acres) of Canada’s land area is forested.

71% of the forested land is held by provincial governments, 23% by federal and territorial governments, and 6% is privately held by approximately 425,000 private owners consisting of individuals, families, communities, and forest companies. Forest companies often manage forests and engage in logging activities in a partnership with the government, rather than holding forest land in Canada. The government, or the public, actually holds the forest and simply leases it to various companies who do the logging and management in many cases. Forest companies hold just over 1.5% of Canada’s wooded land. Geo Map - Canada - Nunavut | Geo Map - Canada - Northwest Territories | Geo Map - Canada | Vector Map Of Canada’s 10 Provinces And 3 Territories Geo Map - Canada - Nunavut Geo Map - Canada - Nunavut Nunavut is the largest, northernmost and newest territory of Canada. The vector stencils library Nunavut contains contours for ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software. This library is contained in the Continent Maps solution from Maps area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.

Geo Map - Canada - Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (NWT; French: les Territoires du Nord-Ouest, TNO) is one of three federal territories of Canada. The vector stencils library Northwest Territories contains contours for ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software. This library is contained in the Continent Maps solution from Maps area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. Geo Map - Canada - Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has a total area of 651,900 square kilometres (251,700 sq mi) and a land area of 592,534 square kilometres (228,800 sq mi), the remainder being water area (covered by lakes/ponds, reservoirs and rivers). The vector stencils library Saskatchewan contains contours for ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software. This library is contained in the Continent Maps solution from Maps area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. Geo Map - Canada - Yukon Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. Whitehorse is the territorial capital. The vector stencils library Yukon contains contours for ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software.

This library is contained in the Continent Maps solution from Maps area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. Geo Map - Canada - Ontario Ontario is one of the ten provinces of Canada, located in east-central Canada. The vector stencils library Ontario contains contours for ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software. This library is contained in the Continent Maps solution from Maps area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. Geo Map - Canada - Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and constitutes one of the four Atlantic Canada provinces. The vector stencils library Nova Scotia contains contours for ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software. This library is contained in the Continent Maps solution from Maps area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. Geo Map - Canada - British Columbia British Columbia, also commonly referred to by its initials BC or B.C. The vector stencils library British Columbia contains contours for ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software. This library is contained in the Continent Maps solution from Maps area of ConceptDraw Solution Park. Geo Map - Canada - Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of the island itself, as well as other islands. The vector stencils library Prince Edward Island contains contours for ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software.

This library is contained in the Continent Maps solution from Maps area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.

Question: Yukon and Nunavut are Federal Territories of which country?
Answer: Canada