The North
Territories
- Yukon Territory
- Northwest Territories
- Nunavut
The North covers more than 1/3 of Canada.
The Canadian government is responsible for the territories, but elected legislatures make most of the decisions.
On April 1st, 1999, the Northwest Territories voted to spin off Nunavut as a separate entity.
The People
Aboriginals have lived in the North for thousands of years. Traditional activities include hunting, trapping, fishing.
Aboriginal people make up about half of the population of the North. Several of the Aboriginal languages have been given legal recognition in the region.
Through recent progress in land claims settlements and self-government agreements, First Nations people have gained greater control over their land and decisions that affect them.
The Economy
Late 1600s: fur trade. The Hudson's Bay Company controlled the northern lands and the fur trade for 300 years.
Aside from hunting, fishing & trapping, mining and oil & gas exploration are large parts of the northern economy.
European miners first came to the Yukon during the Gold Rush of the late 1800s. There are still gold, zinc and diamond mines being worked today.
Inuit art: prints, soapstone carvings sold throughout the world, giving rise to coop businesses for making and marketing arts and crafts.
Tourism: growing.
Ecosystem extremely fragile.
The Climate
The Land of the Midnight Sun. In winter, the sun disappears for three months.
Yukon holds the Canadian record for coldest recorded temperature: -63° C.
Most of the land is tundra; no trees, and the ground is permanently frozen.
Population:
- Nunavut: 31,000
- Northwest Territories: 42,500
- Yukon Territory: 31,000
Total Population: 105,000
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