Yukon (population as of the 2021 census 40,232[1]) is in the northwestern corner of Canada and is bordered by Alaska, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. The sparsely populated territory abounds with natural scenery, snowmelt lakes and perennial white-capped mountains, including many of Canada's highest mountains. The territory's climate is Arctic in territory north of Old Crow, subarctic in the region, between Whitehorse and Old Crow, and humid continental climate south of Whitehorse and in areas close to the British Columbia border. Most of the territory is boreal forest with tundra being the main vegetation zone only in the extreme north and at high elevations.
The territory is about the shape of a right triangle, bordering the American state of Alaska to the west, the Northwest Territories to the east and British Columbia to the south. Yukon covers 482,443km2 (186,272sqmi), of which 474,391km2 (183,163sqmi) is land and 8,052km2 (3,109sqmi) is water, making it the thirty-sixth largest subnational entity in the world, and, among the fifty largest, the least populous.
Permafrost is common. The northern part of Yukon has continuous permafrost, while it is widespread in the central part. Even the southern Yukon has scattered patches of permafrost.
Other rivers flow either directly into the Pacific Ocean or directly or indirectly into the Arctic Ocean. The Alsek - Tatshenshini drainage flows directly into the Pacific from southwestern Yukon. A number of rivers in northern Yukon flow directly into the Arctic Ocean. The two main Yukon rivers flowing into the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories are the Liard River in the southeast and the Peel River and its tributaries in the northeast.
Climate
Most of Yukon has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classificationDfc), characterized by long cold winters and brief warm summers. The airstrip at Snag, 25km (16mi) east of Beaver Creek near the Alaska border, experienced the lowest ever temperature measured in North America (outside of Greenland), −63.0°C (−81.4°F) on 3 February 1947.[4] The Arctic Ocean coast has a polar climate (ET). The climate is generally very dry, with little precipitation, but is considerably wetter in the southeast. Precipitation is much greater in the mountains, and the snow pack continues to melt well into the summer, resulting in high water in July or August.
Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), Yukon's territorial flower and white spruce (Picea glauca) in southern Yukon near the South Klondike Highway.
Plants
Black spruce (Picea mariana),[21]white spruce (Picea glauca), quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) are found throughout much of the territory. Although relatively uncommon, the Alaska birch (Betula neoalaskana) is also found in most areas. The lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) reaches its northern extreme in the south-central part of the territory, while tamarack (Larix laricina) is found in the southeast and the subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa, the official tree[20]) is found at higher elevations in the southern part of the territory. Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) is the territories official flower.[20]
Other large mammals include moose (Alces alces), wolves (Canis lupus), grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) and American black bears (Ursus americanus). Higher elevations have Dall sheep (also called thinhorn sheep, Ovis dalli) and, in the south, mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus). Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are found on the Arctic coast. The mule deer (Odocoileus hermionus) and its predator, the cougar (Puma concolor), are becoming increasingly common in the south, and coyotes (Canis latrans) are increasing their range to the northern Yukon. Elk (Cervus canadensis) and wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) are also present.[25]
Other than the burbot (Lota lota) and northern pike (Esox lucius), most of the large fish found in Yukon rivers, lakes and streams are salmonids. Four species of Pacific salmon (chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), chum (Oncorhynchus keta), coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka)) breed in Yukon rivers and lakes in the Pacific and Yukon River watersheds. The Yukon River has the longest freshwater migration route of any salmon; Chinook salmon swim over 3,000km (1,900mi) from its mouth in the Bering Sea to spawning grounds upstream of Whitehorse. There are also land-locked kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka, a type of sockeye) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Char are represented by lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) present in most large Yukon lakes, as well as Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma), bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) and Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus). The Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) is ubiquitous, while the lakes have various whitefish and inconnu (Stenodus leucichthys).[27]
Yukon is sparsely populated, with 40,232[1] inhabitants (as of the 2021 census) in a territory almost as large as Spain or Sweden. Covering an area of 472,345.44km2 (182,373.59sqmi) the population density is 0.09/km2 (0.22/sqmi).[1] Close to three quarters of the population is in the Whitehorse area, and the rest live in a number of other communities. All except Old Crow are accessible by road.
The capital, Whitehorse (2021 city population 28,201[28]), is also the largest city with more than 70% of the population; the second largest is Dawson City, (2021 population 1,577[29]) which was the capital until 1952.
Traditionally, Yukon was inhabited by nomadic Athapaskan-speaking First Nations people who had established extensive trading networks with the Pacific Coast Tlingit. The interior people traded copper, furs and meat for coastal products such as eulachon oil. About 20% of the Yukon population is of Indigenous origin.
There is no Inuit population in Yukon, although there was a population along the Arctic Ocean coast within historic times. The Inuit were decimated by disease and disappeared in the 19th century. In 1984, the Government of Canada included the Yukon North Slope within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region under the auspices of the Inuvialuit.[30]
Yukon has abundant mineral resources and mining was the mainstay of the economy until recently. Abundant gold was found in the Klondike region leading to the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. Placer gold is found in many streams and rivers, and there is an active placer mining industry in the Klondike and many other parts of Yukon to this day.
While Yukon is mostly covered with forests, most of the trees are small and take a long time to grow and regenerate because of the dry cold climate. There is a considerable amount of small scale logging, but the only area that can sustain industrial forestry is in the southeast with its wetter climate. However, distance from markets and fluctuating prices have resulted in a boom-and-bust industry.
A small amount of natural gas is currently produced in the southeast, but little exploration has been done in other parts of the Yukon. It is believed that there are abundant natural gas fields in the Eagle Plains area along the Dempster Highway and possibly in the Whitehorse area, but distance from pipelines has hampered exploration.
Environmental issues
Climate change is affecting the north more than other parts of the world and Yukon is no exception.[33] While residents might welcome warmer temperatures, the ultimate effects are not known. Higher temperatures would mean more evaporation and drying out an already dry climate, resulting in more forest fires and reducing the biological productivity of boreal forests, whose growth is limited more by lack of moisture than temperature. Also glaciers are likely to melt, and permafrost likely to thaw.[34]
Yukon is also the recipient of airborne pollutants from other parts of the world, especially persistent organic pollutants. Consumption of the liver of certain wild animals and fish is no longer recommended because of these.
In an effort to encourage natural resource exploration, the previous (2002–2011) Yukon Party government led by Dennis Fentie has suspended the application of the Protected Areas Strategy (established by a previous Yukon New Democratic Party government) and has indicated its intention of not creating additional protected areas or parks.
↑ "Largest non-polar ice field". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 10 October 2019. Located in Yukon Territory, Canada,... Kluane National Park and Reserve is home to the largest ice field outside the Poles.
↑ "Daily Data Report for June 2004". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2100805. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
↑ "Daily Data Report for July 1998". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Climate ID: 2100805. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
↑ "February 1947". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
↑ "July 1899". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
↑ "June 1950". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
↑ "December 1917". Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
Pamela H. Sinclair, Wendy A. Nixon, Cameron D. Eckert, and Nancy L. Hughes, Eds. (2003). Birds of the Yukon Territory. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver, British Columbia. ISBN0-7748-1012-2.
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