Selwyn Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Selwyn Mountains are a mountain range
in northern Canada
, forming part of the border between the Yukon
Territory and the Northwest Territories
, and which are part of the Eastern System of the Canadian Cordillera (aka the Western Cordillera). They are neighboured on the east by the Mackenzie Mountains
and on their northwest end by the Brooks Range
. To their southwest is the Yukon Plateau
, while a lower southward extension of their mountain spine protrudes into British Columbia
as the Liard Plateau. In some reckonings the Selwyns and Mackenzies are considered to be part of the Rocky Mountains
, but that range officially lies only to the south of the Liard River
and the aforesaid plateau.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in northern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, forming part of the border between the Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
Territory and the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, and which are part of the Eastern System of the Canadian Cordillera (aka the Western Cordillera). They are neighboured on the east by the Mackenzie Mountains
Mackenzie Mountains
The Mackenzie Mountains are a mountain range forming part of the Yukon-Northwest Territories boundary between the Liard and Peel rivers. The range is named in honour of Canada's second Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie. Nahanni National Park Reserve is in the Mackenzie Mountains.The Mackenzie...
and on their northwest end by the Brooks Range
Brooks Range
The Brooks Range is a mountain range in far northern North America. It stretches from west to east across northern Alaska and into Canada's Yukon Territory, a total distance of about 1100 km . The mountains top out at over 2,700 m . The range is believed to be approximately 126 million years old...
. To their southwest is the Yukon Plateau
Yukon Plateau
The Yukon Plateau is a plateau comprising much of the central and southern Yukon Territory and the far northern part of British Columbia, Canada between Tagish Lake and the Cassiar Mountains and north of the Nakina River....
, while a lower southward extension of their mountain spine protrudes into British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
as the Liard Plateau. In some reckonings the Selwyns and Mackenzies are considered to be part of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, but that range officially lies only to the south of the Liard River
Liard River
The Liard River flows through Yukon, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, Canada. Rising in the Saint Cyr Range of the Pelly Mountains in southeastern Yukon, it flows southeast through British Columbia, marking the northern end of the Rocky Mountains and then curving northeast back...
and the aforesaid plateau.