Nunavut is the most northern territory in Canada. It is the most newly incorporated of Canada’s three territories, and also covers the most land. Nunavut was only separated from the Northwest Territories in 1999, although the official boundaries had been drawn since 1993. Nunavut’s creation was the first major change in the Canadian political map since 1949.
Nunavut is a region that has been populated by indigenous peoples continuously for around 4,000 years. The First Nations peoples on the coast might occasionally have had contact with Norse sailors, as historians believe that Baffin Island’s coast is described in Norse sagas.
In September of 2008, there were new reports released by researchers regarding newly and previously excavated archaeological remains. The researchers believe that the artifacts uncovered indicate that there was contact with European traders prior to 1,000 AD. The contact may have continued up to 1,450 AD.
The first written historical record regarding Nunavut was recorded in 1576, written by an English explorer named Martin Frobisher. Frobisher was the head of an expedition to find the Northwest Passage. In his account, he believed he had discovered gold ore surrounding Frobisher Bay. In actuality, the ore wasn’t worth anything, but Frobisher’s account is the first written record of European contacting the Inuit people. Other explorers moved through Nunavut searching for the Northwest Passage in the 1600s, including Robert Bylot, William Baffin, and Henry Hudson.
During the Cold War, the Canadian government forcibly relocated Inuit peoples living in Nunavik to Grise Fiord and Resolute. These conditions were more hostile and unfamiliar than those in northern Quebec, and many of the people starved. In 2010, the government compensated individuals who had been affected by the relocation along with their descendants.
Talks of dividing the Northwest Territories by ethnicity began in the 1950s, but it took several decades for successful legislation to be put in place. A land claims agreement was ratified by almost eighty-five percent of Nunavut’s voters during a referendum. The complete transition into its own territory was completed in 1999.
After Nunavut’s official creation, there has been a marked increase in the capital’s population. In 2001, the capital Iqaluit had a population of just 5,200. As of 2011, the population had grown to 6,600.
Nunavut is the largest of Canada’s three territories. Geographically speaking, it has just a little less land than Mexico. The territory also covers 160,930 square kilometers of water. In addition to including a portion of the northern mainland, the territory covers many islands and the majority of the Arctic Archipelago. Included islands are the Belcher Islands and any islands in Ungava Bay, James Bay, and Hudson Bay.
The highest point in Nunavut is Barbeau Peak, which is 2,616 meters or 8,583 feet high. This peak is located on Ellesmere Island. In addition, the territory has one of the smallest population densities in the world, as only about 35,000 people live in the entire area.
The majority of Nunavut is subject to a polar climate. It is the most northern territory located in Canada. The high latitude causes the temperatures to be significantly lower than more southern territories and provinces. In addition, Nunavut doesn’t experience the continental summer influence that areas further to the west do.
In the most southern areas of Nunavut, there are some subarctic climates. These don’t quite meet the requirements for a polar climate, but they are still very cold. Subarctic climates have very cool and mild summers followed by extremely long, cold winters. During July, the high in the subarctic climates tends to be cooler than 10 Celsius, or 50 Fahrenheit.
Nunavut’s economy is varied across multiple industries and entities. In addition to the Inuit and Territorial Government, the biggest industry employers are mining, exploration of oils and gas and minerals, arts and crafts, fishing, hunting, whaling, tourism, housing development, transportation, research, education, and military endeavors.
There is currently one college operating in Nunavut, called the Nunavut Arctic College. In addition, multiple Arctic research stations can be found throughout the territory. Every year, Iqaluit is host to the Nunavut Mining Symposium. This tradeshow shows off various economic endeavors occurring within Nunavut.
Currently, there are three large mining operations underway in Nunavut. One is at the Meadowbank Gold Mine, which is a gold mine that employs 680 people. Another is at the Mary River Iron Ore mine. The third is at the Hope Bay Mine, a high-grade gold mine recently opened.
Alert, Nunavut is the most northern permanently populated region in the world. About sixty people live there permanently. There are also many temporary residents that come and go due to the CFS Alert radio receiving facility that intercepts military signals.
The weather station Eureka, which is located on Ellesmere Island in Nunavut, boasts the lowest average temperature annually of any weather station in Canada.
Nunavut is the fifty-largest non-country geographical entity in the world. If Nunavut was a country by itself, it would be the fifteenth largest in the entire world.
Nunavut’s population is mostly Inuit, with more than eighty percent of the population identifying as Inuit. Only about fifteen percent of the population identifies as non-aboriginal.
Inuit language is the main official language of the territory. The language is Inuinnaqtun and Inuktitut, also sometimes referred to as Inuktut. The other official languages are French and English.
Nunavut Cities and Regional Municipalities Includes Iqaluit
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