Geography of the Northwest Territories

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The Thelon River Thelon river oasis.jpg
The Thelon River

The Northwest Territories is a territory in Northern Canada, specifically in Northwestern Canada between Yukon Territory and Nunavut including part of Victoria Island, Melville Island, and other islands on the western Arctic Archipelago. [1] Originally a much wider territory enclosing most of central and northern Canada, the Northwest Territories was created in 1870 from the Hudson's Bay Company's holdings that were sold to Canada from 1869-1870. [1] In addition, Alberta and Saskatchewan were formed from the territory in 1905. In 1999, it was divided again: the eastern portion became the new territory of Nunavut. [1] Yellowknife stands as its largest city and capital. [1] It has a population of 42,800 [1] and has an area of 532,643 sq mi (1,379,540 km2). The current territory lies west of Nunavut, north of latitude 60° north, and east of Yukon.

Contents

It stretches across the top of the North American continent, reaching into the Arctic Circle. [1] The region consists of the following: many islands, such as Victoria Island, the Mackenzie River, and Great Bear and Great Slave lakes. Over half the people are Inuit and First Nations peoples. In the 18th century, the main land[ clarification needed ] was explored by Samuel Hearne for the Hudson's Bay Company and by Alexander Mackenzie. [1] European settlers were mainly whalers, fur traders, and missionaries until the 1920s, when oil was discovered and the territorial administration had formed. [1] The principal industry is now mining, and centers of the petroleum and Natural Gas fields in the western Arctic coastal regions. [1]

History and founding

As European Incursions began in the region, they encountered the fishing and hunting Inuit and Dene. Vikings who came from Greenland may have been the first Europeans to explore the eastern section of the Northwest Territories, now Nunavut. [1] Sir Martin Frobisher was the first of a long line of explorers to venture the Northwest Passage; but it was Henry Hudson who discovered the gateway to the Northwest (Hudson Bay) in 1610. [1]

For several decades the Hudson's Bay Company sent trade-explorers into the northern sea lanes and along the coast; in 1771, Samuel Hearne went from Hudson Bay and descended the Coppermine River. By 1789, exploring for the North West Company, Alexander Mackenzie ventured to the mouth of the Mackenzie River. Sir John Franklin contributed scientific expeditions to the Arctic Northwest in the first half of the 19th century, gaining valuable geographic data. [1]

The area of present Northwest Territories and Nunavut was part of the vast lands sold by the Hudson's Bay Company to the new Canadian confederation in 1870. [1] Some of those lands were added to the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Then the province of Manitoba was formed from them in 1870, and Alberta and Saskatchewan in 1905, all south of 60° North. In 1898, the Yukon Territory was separated. The boundaries of the Northwest Territories were set in 1912 and stayed fixed until Nunavut was created in 1999. From 1920 until 1999 the Territories were divided into three districts: Franklin, Keewatin and Mackenzie.

Ever since the 1982 patriation of the Canadian Constitution, several land claims made by native peoples have made their way through the courts and federal government. [1] In 1992, the residents of the Northwest Territories voted to divide the territory along ethnic lines, with the Inuit on the east and the Dene to the west. The new territory of Nunavut, dominated by the Inuit, came into existence on April 1, 1999. This split the Northwest Territories along a ziz-zag path running from the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border through the Arctic Archipelago on the North Pole. Other native peoples with claims were the Métis and the Inuvialuit. Joe Handley became the Territories' premier in December 2003.

Communication and travel

In the Northwest Territories, transportation and communication can be problematic. [1] Long winters tend to close the rivers to navigation for nearly two months. [1] Apart from the Great Slave Railway and the Mackenzie highway system, that links to Alberta and to the Great Slave Lake area, commerce, supply, and travel remain largely airborne. [1] The region includes scores of airfields. [1] An ongoing northern roads program, launched since 1966, is opening up the area. Moreover, the Liard Highway, opened in 1984, connects Fort Simpson to the Alaska Highway. [1] Other highways link Inuvik to the Yukon and Hay River then[ clarification needed ] Yellowknife to the highways in Alberta. In winter, some frozen rivers and lakes are used for road traffic. [1] These are also vast telecommunication services. [1]

People and the land

Geographically, the area is mainly south of the tree line, which runs roughly northwest to southeast, from the Mackenzie River delta in the Arctic Ocean into the southeastern corner of the territory. [1] Tundra is characteristic of the land north of the tree line; there the native people depend on hunting, arts and crafts, fur-trapping; and they obtain many resources from fish, seals, reindeer, and caribou. [1] The majority of the development in this area takes place south of the tree line, where the land is covered with soft woods and rich minerals. [1] Two of the world's largest lakes (Great Slave and Great Bear) are located here. Great Slave Lake is the source of one of the world's longest rivers, the Mackenzie, that runs 1,120 miles (1,800 km) to its outlet into the Arctic Ocean. [1] The Northwest Territories is the site of the northern end of Wood Buffalo National Park (est. 1922) and all of the Nahanni National Park (est. 1972). [1]

Geology

The Northwest Territories contains the Mackenzie dike swarm, which is the largest dike swarm known on Earth. [2] Around 1,269-1,267 million years ago, the Slave craton was partly uplifted and intruded by the giant Mackenzie dyke swarm, radiating from a mantle plume center west of Victoria Island. This was the last major event affecting the core of the Slave craton, although some younger mafic magmatic events affect its edges.

Climate

Koppen climate types in the Northwest Territories Northwest Territories Koppen.svg
Köppen climate types in the Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories extends for more than 1,300,000 km2 (500,000 sq mi) and has a large climate variant from south to north. The southern part of the territory (most of the mainland portion) has a subarctic climate, while the islands and northern coast have a polar climate.

Summers in the north are short and cool, featuring daytime highs of 14–17 degrees Celsius (57–63 °F) and lows of 1–5 degrees Celsius (34–41 °F). Winters are long and harsh, with daytime highs −20 to −25 °C (−4 to −13 °F) and lows −30 to −35 °C (−22 to −31 °F). The coldest nights typically reach −40 to −45 °C (−40 to −49 °F) each year.

Extremes are common with summer highs in the south reaching 36 °C (97 °F) and lows reaching below 0 °C (32 °F). In winter in the south, it is not uncommon for the temperatures to reach −40 °C (−40 °F), but they can also reach the low teens during the day. In the north, temperatures can reach highs of 30 °C (86 °F), and lows into the low negatives. In winter in the north it is not uncommon for the temperatures to reach −50 °C (−58 °F) but they can also reach single digits during the day.

Thunderstorms are not rare in the south. In the north they are very rare, but do occur. [3] Tornadoes are extremely rare but have happened with the most notable one happening just outside Yellowknife that destroyed a communications tower. The Territory has a fairly dry climate due to the mountains in the west.

About half of the territory is above the tree line. There are not many trees in most of the eastern areas of the territory, or in the north islands. [4]

Climate data

Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in Northwest Territories
CityJuly (°C)July (°F)January (°C)January (°F)
Fort Simpson [5] 24/1175/52−20/−29−4/−19
Yellowknife [6] 21/1370/55−22/−30−7/−21
Inuvik [7] 20/967/48−23/−31−9/−24
Sachs Harbour [8] 10/350/38−24/−32−12/−25

Economy

Agriculture is nearly impossible in the Northwest Territories except for limited cultivation south of the Mackenzie River area. [1] Trapping is the region's oldest industry, and ranks second after mining. [1] Another thriving industry is fishing, based on lake trout and whitefish, centered on the village of Hay River, on Great Slave Lake. Minerals are currently the Territories' most valuable natural resource. [1] Oil is to be pumped and refined at Tulita (formerly Fort Norman) and Norman Wells on the Mackenzie River. Copper is extracted on the Coppermine River. Diamonds and gold are currently produced in increasing amounts. [1] The region also has tungsten, silver, cadmium, and nickel.

There are significant hydroelectric developments on the Talston and Snare rivers. [1]

Additional

Government

The territory is governed through a 22-member Legislative Assembly which elects a premier and cabinet; an appointed commissioner holds a position similar to that of a Canadian lieutenant governor. The territory sends one Senator and one Member of Parliament to the Parliament of Canada. [1]

See also

See also

Lists: Regions of Canada • Islands of Canada • Rivers of Canada • Lakes of Canada • Mountains in Canada • National Parks of Canada

Provincial geography: Alberta • British Columbia • Manitoba • Newfoundland and Labrador • New Brunswick • Nova Scotia • Nunavut • Ontario • Quebec • Saskatchewan • Northwest Territories • Yukon

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Canada</span>

Canada has a vast geography that occupies much of the continent of North America, sharing a land border with the contiguous United States to the south and the U.S. state of Alaska to the northwest. Canada stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west; to the north lies the Arctic Ocean. Greenland is to the northeast with a shared border on Hans Island. To the southeast Canada shares a maritime boundary with France's overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the last vestige of New France. By total area, Canada is the second-largest country in the world, after Russia. By land area alone, however, Canada ranks fourth, the difference being due to it having the world's largest proportion of fresh water lakes. Of Canada's thirteen provinces and territories, only two are landlocked while the other eleven all directly border one of three oceans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Territories</span> Territory of Canada

The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately 1,144,000 km2 (442,000 sq mi) and a 2016 census population of 41,790, it is the second-largest and the most populous of the three territories in Northern Canada. Its estimated population as of 2023 is 45,668. Yellowknife is the capital, most populous community, and only city in the territory; its population was 19,569 as of the 2016 census. It became the territorial capital in 1967, following recommendations by the Carrothers Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back River (Nunavut)</span> Major river in northern Canada

The Back River, formerly Backs River, is the 20th longest Canadian river and is located in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. It rises at an unnamed lake in the North Slave Region of the Northwest Territories and flows more than 974 km (605 mi) mostly through the Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, to its mouth at the Arctic Ocean in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Canada</span> Region of Canada

Northern Canada, colloquially the North or the Territories, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. This area covers about 48 per cent of Canada's total land area, but has less than 0.5 per cent of Canada's population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inuvik</span> Arctic town in the Northwest Territories, Canada

Inuvik is the only town in the Inuvik Region, and the third largest community in Canada's Northwest Territories. Located in what is sometimes called the Beaufort Delta Region, it serves as its administrative and service centre and is home to federal, territorial, and Indigenous government offices, along with the regional hospital and airport.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Alberta</span>

Alberta is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. Located in Western Canada, the province has an area of 661,190 km2 (255,290 sq mi) and is bounded to the south by the United States state of Montana along 49° north for 298 km (185 mi); to the east at 110° west by the province of Saskatchewan for 1,223 km (760 mi); and at 60° north the Northwest Territories for 644 km (400 mi). The southern half of the province borders British Columbia along the Continental Divide of the Americas on the peaks of the Rocky Mountains, while the northern half borders British Columbia along the 120th meridian west. Along with Saskatchewan it is one of only two landlocked provinces or territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Slave Lake</span> Second-largest lake in the Northwest Territories, Canada

Great Slave Lake is the second-largest lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada, the deepest lake in North America at 614 m (2,014 ft), and the tenth-largest lake in the world by area. It is 469 km (291 mi) long and 20 to 203 km wide. It covers an area of 27,200 km2 (10,500 sq mi) in the southern part of the territory. Its given volume ranges from 1,070 km3 (260 cu mi) to 1,580 km3 (380 cu mi) and up to 2,088 km3 (501 cu mi) making it the 10th or 12th largest by volume.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dene</span> Indigenous people in northern Canada

The Dene people are an indigenous group of First Nations who inhabit the northern boreal and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dene speak Northern Athabaskan languages. Dene is the common Athabaskan word for "people". The term "Dene" has two uses:

The vastness of Canada's Northwest Territories meant that for much of its history it was divided into several districts for ease of administration. The number and size of these territorial districts varied as other provinces and territories of Canada were created and expanded. The districts of the Northwest Territories were abolished in 1999 with the creation of the Nunavut territory and the contraction of the Northwest Territories to its current size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitikmeot Region</span> Region in Nunavut, Canada

Kitikmeot Region is an administrative region of Nunavut, Canada. It consists of the southern and eastern parts of Victoria Island with the adjacent part of the mainland as far as the Boothia Peninsula, together with King William Island and the southern portion of Prince of Wales Island. The regional centre is Cambridge Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Smith, Northwest Territories</span> Town in Northwest Territories, Canada

Fort Smith is a town in the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. It is located in the southeastern portion of the Northwest Territories, on the Slave River and adjacent to the Alberta border along the 60th parallel north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whale Cove, Nunavut</span> Place in Nunavut, Canada

Whale Cove, is a hamlet located 74 km (46 mi) south southwest of Rankin Inlet, 145 km (90 mi) northeast of Arviat, in the Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada, on the western shore of Hudson Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Arctic Territories</span> Former British territory

The British Arctic Territories were a constituent region of British North America, composed of islands to the north of continental North America. They are now known as the Arctic Archipelago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Northwest Territories</span>

The history of the Northwest Territories covers the period from thousands of years ago to the present day. Prior to European colonization, the lands that encompass present-day Northwest Territories were inhabited for millennia by several First Nations. European explorers and fur traders began to explore the region since the late-16th century. By the 17th century, the British laid claim to both the North-Western Territory and Rupert's Land; and granted the Hudson's Bay Company a commercial fur trade monopoly over the latter region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nunavut</span> Territory of Canada

Nunavut is the largest and northernmost territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, which provided this territory to the Inuit for independent government. The boundaries had been drawn in 1993. The creation of Nunavut resulted in the first major change to Canada's political map in half a century since the province of Newfoundland was admitted in 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of the Northwest Territories</span>

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Northwest Territories:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 "Northwest Territories Answers" . Retrieved 10 December 2006.
  2. ↑ Pilkington and Roest. "Removing varying directional trends in aeromagnetic data." Geophysics vol. 63 no. 2 (1998), pp. 446–453.
  3. ↑ Maybank, J. (2012). "Thunderstorm". The Canadian Encyclopedia. The Historica-Dominion Institute. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  4. ↑ "Publications & Maps". Globalforestwatch.org. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  5. ↑ "Fort Simpson A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. 25 September 2013. Climate ID: 2202101. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  6. ↑ "Yellowknife A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. 25 September 2013. Climate ID: 2204100. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  7. ↑ "Inuvik A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. 25 September 2013. Climate ID: 2202570. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  8. ↑ "Sachs Harbour A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. 25 September 2013. Climate ID: 2503650. Retrieved 19 October 2020.

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