Yukon
Encyclopedia
Yukon ˈ 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
.
The territory was created from the rump of the Hudson's Bay Company
's North-Western Territory
in 1898 as "the Yukon". Receiving royal assent on March 27, 2002, the federal government moderized the Yukon Act to confirm "Yukon", rather than "Yukon Territory", as the current usage standard. Though officially bilingual (English and French) the Yukon Government also recognizes First Nations
languages.
At 5959 m (19,550.5 ft), Yukon's Mount Logan
, in Kluane National Park and Reserve
, is the highest mountain in Canada and the second-highest of North America
(after Mount McKinley
in the U.S. state of Alaska). The territory's climate is Arctic and subarctic, resulting in long cold winters, short summers, and little precipitation.
The territory is the approximate shape of a right triangle
, bordering the U.S. state
of Alaska
to the west for 1,210 km (752 mi) mostly along longitude 141° W, the Northwest Territories
to the east and British Columbia
to the south. Its northern coast is on the Beaufort Sea
. Its ragged eastern boundary mostly follows the divide between the Yukon Basin and the Mackenzie River
drainage basin
to the east in the Mackenzie mountains. Whitehorse
is the territorial capital.
Most of the territory is in the watershed of its namesake, the Yukon River
. The southern Yukon is dotted with a large number of large, long and narrow glacier-fed alpine lakes, most of which flow into the Yukon River system. The larger lakes include Teslin Lake
, Atlin Lake
, Tagish Lake
, Marsh Lake
, Lake Laberge
, Kusawa Lake
and Kluane Lake
. Bennett Lake on the Klondike
Gold Rush
trail is a lake flowing into Nares Lake, with the greater part of its area within the Yukon.
Canada's highest point, Mount Logan (5959 m (19,551 ft)), is in the territory's southwest. Mount Logan and a large part of the Yukon's southwest are in Kluane National Park and Reserve
, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
. Other national parks include Ivvavik National Park
and Vuntut National Park
in the north.
Other watersheds include the Mackenzie River, the Peel watershed
and the Alsek
–Tatshenshini
, as well as a number of rivers flowing directly into the Beaufort Sea. The two main Yukon rivers flowing into the Mackenzie in the Northwest Territories are the Liard River
in the southeast and the Peel River
and its tributaries in the northeast.
Notable widespread tree species within the Yukon are the Black Spruce
and White Spruce
. Many trees are stunted because of the short growing season and severe climate.
The capital, Whitehorse
, is also the largest city, with about two-thirds of the population; the second largest is Dawson City
, (pop. 1,250) which was the capital until 1952.
ans, central and northern Yukon escaped glaciation
as it was part of Beringia (Bering land bridge
). The volcanic
eruption of Mount Churchill
near the Alaska
border blanketed southern Yukon with a layer of ash
which can still be seen along the Klondike Highway
. Coastal and inland First Nations already had extensive trading networks and European incursions into the area only began early in the 19th century with the fur trade
, followed by missionaries
and the Western Union Telegraph Expedition.
By the end of the 19th century gold miners were trickling in on rumours of gold, driving a population increase justifying the setting up of a police force, just in time for the start of the Klondike Gold Rush
in 1897. The increased population coming with the gold rush led to the separation of the Yukon district from the Northwest Territories and the formation of the separate Yukon Territory in 1898.
examined Canadians' ethnicity and ancestry (beyond grandparents). Out of a Yukon population of 30,195, only 13,045 (43%) responded with a single answer, 57% of respondents selected multiple ethnicity making a 'simple' assessment of the ethnic portrait impossible. From the total answers (118,035) 13% are of aboriginal, North American Indian, or Métis origin. This percentage might be a little higher if the 'Canadian' origin includes both First Nations people and European descendents. The categories for other origins are confounding ('European' vs 'Western European' vs 'French' vs 'Scottish', etc.) and therefore a further breakdown is not realistic. According the Statistics Canada 2006 Community Profiles page, Yukoners of aboriginal identity population (including all persons with treaty status or band registry) represent 25% of the population.
Of the 29,940 singular responses to the census question concerning 'mother tongue' the most commonly reported languages were:
There were also 150 responses of both English and a ' language'; 10 of both French and a ' language'; 110 of both English and French; and about 175 people who either did not respond to the question, or reported multiple languages, or else gave another unenumerated response. Yukon's official languages are shown in bold. Figures shown are for the number of single-language responses and the percentage of total single-language responses.
The Language Act of Yukon "recognises the significance" of aboriginal languages in Yukon; however, only English and French are available for laws, court proceedings, and legislative assembly proceedings.
with 5,975 (22 percent); the Anglican Church of Canada
with 3,795 (13 percent); and the United Church of Canada
with 2,105 (7 percent).
(lead
, zinc
, silver
, gold
, asbestos
and copper
). The government acquired the land from the Hudson's Bay Company
in 1870 and split it from the Northwest Territories
in 1898 to fill the need for local government created by the population influx of the gold rush.
Thousands of these prospectors flooded the territory, creating a colourful period recorded by authors such as Robert W. Service
and Jack London
. The memory of this period and the early days of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
, as well as the territory's scenic wonders and outdoor recreation opportunities, makes tourism
the second most important industry.
Manufacturing, including furniture, clothing, and handicrafts, follows in importance, along with hydroelectricity
. The traditional industries of trapping and fishing
have declined. Today, the government sector is by far the biggest employer in the territory, directly employing approximately 5,000 out of a labour force of 12,500.
s and guide
s available to hunters
and anglers
and nature lovers of all sorts. Sports enthusiasts can paddle lakes and rivers with canoe
s and kayak
s, ride or walk trails, ski
or snowboard
in an organised setting or access the backcountry
by air or snowmobile
, climb the highest peaks in Canada
or take a family hike up smaller mountains, or try ice climbing
and dog sled
ding.
Yukon also has a wide array of cultural and sporting events and infrastructures that attract artist
s, participants and tourists from all parts of the world (Yukon International Storytelling Festival
, Frostbite Music Festival, Dawson Music Festival, Yukon Quest
, Sourdough Rendezvous, the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre
, Northern Lights Centre, Klondike Gold Rush memorials and activities, "Takhini Hot Springs", and the Whitehorse fish ladder.
There are many opportunities to experience pre-colonial lifestyles by learning about Yukon's First Nations. Wildlife and nature observation is exceptional and a wide variety of large mammal
s, bird
s, and fish
are easily accessible, whether or not within Yukon's many territorial park
s (Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park, Tombstone Territorial Park, Fishing Branch Ni'iinlii'njik Park, Coal River Springs Territorial Park) and national parks (Kluane National Park and Reserve
, Vuntut National Park
, Ivvavik National Park
) and reserves
, or nearby Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park
in British Columbia
.
On the long, cold, and clear nights of winter, nature provides the ultimate natural spectacle in the form of aurora borealis
.
and Dalton Trail
, as well as the first Europeans.
From the Gold Rush until the 1950s, riverboats plied the Yukon River, mostly between Whitehorse and Dawson City, with some making their way further to Alaska and over to the Bering Sea
, and other tributaries of Yukon River such as the Stewart River
. Most of the riverboats were owned by the British-Yukon Navigation Company, an arm of the White Pass and Yukon Route
, which also operated a narrow gauge railway between Skagway, Alaska
, and Whitehorse. The railway ceased operation in the 1980s with the first closure of the Faro
mine. It is now run during the summer months for the tourism season, with operations as far as Carcross
.
Today, major land routes include the Alaska Highway
, the Klondike Highway
(between Skagway and Dawson City), the Haines Highway
(between Haines, Alaska
, and Haines Junction
), and the Dempster Highway
(linking Inuvik, Northwest Territories
to the Klondike Highway), all paved except for the Dempster. Other highways with less traffic include the "Robert Campbell Highway
" linking Carmacks
(on the Klondike Highway) to Watson Lake
(Alaska Highway) via Faro and Ross River
, and the "Silver Trail
" linking the old silver mining communities of Mayo
, Elsa
and Keno City
to the Klondike Highway at the Stewart River bridge. Air travel is the only way to reach the far north community of Old Crow.
Whitehorse International Airport serves as the air transport infrastructure hub, with direct flights to Vancouver
, Calgary
, Edmonton
, Fairbanks
, and Frankfurt
(summer months). Every Yukon community is served by an airport. The communities of Dawson City, Old Crow, and Inuvik, have regular passenger service through Air North
. Air charter businesses exist primarily to serve the tourism and mining exploration industries.
In the 19th century, Yukon was a segment of the Hudson's Bay Company
-administered North-Western Territory
and then the Canadian-administered Northwest Territories. It only obtained a recognizable local government in 1895 when it became a separate district of the Northwest Territories. In 1898, it was made a separate territory with its own commissioner and appointed Territorial Council.
Prior to 1979, the territory was administered by the commissioner who was appointed by the federal Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
. The commissioner used to chair and had a role in appointing the territory's Executive Council and had a day to day role in governing the territory. The elected Territorial Council had a purely advisory role. In 1979, a significant degree of power was devolved
from the federal government and commissioner to the territorial legislature which, in that year, adopted a party system of responsible government
. This was done through a letter from Jake Epp
, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development rather than through formal legislation.
In preparation for responsible government
, political parties were organised and ran candidates to the Yukon Legislative Assembly
for the first time in 1978. The Progressive Conservatives
won these elections and formed the first party government of Yukon in January 1979. The Yukon New Democratic Party
(NDP) formed the government from 1985 to 1992 under Tony Penikett
and again from 1996 under Piers McDonald
until being defeated in 2000. The conservatives returned to power in 1992 under John Ostashek
after having renamed themselves the Yukon Party
. The Liberal
government of Pat Duncan
was defeated in elections in November 2002, with Dennis Fentie
of the Yukon Party forming the government as Premier
.
The Yukon Act, passed on April 1, 2003, formalised the powers of the Yukon government and devolved additional powers to the territorial government (e.g., control over land and natural resources). As of 2003, other than criminal prosecutions, the Yukon government has much of the same powers as provincial governments, and the other two territories are looking to obtaining the same powers. Today the role of commissioner is analogous to that of a provincial lieutenant governor
; however, unlike lieutenant-governors, commissioners are not formal representatives of the Queen but are employees of the federal government.
Although there has been discussion in the past about Yukon becoming Canada's 11th province, it is generally felt that its population base is too sparse for this to occur at present.
At the federal level, the territory is presently represented in the Parliament of Canada
by a single Member of Parliament
and one senator. Canadian territories' members of Parliament are full and equal voting representatives and residents of the territory enjoy the same rights as other Canadian citizens. One Yukon Member of Parliament — Erik Nielsen
— was the Deputy Prime Minister
under the government of Brian Mulroney
, while another — Audrey McLaughlin
— was the leader of the federal New Democratic Party
.
Yukon was one of nine jurisdictions in Canada to offer same-sex marriage
before the passage of Canada's Civil Marriage Act
.
, Yukon is represented by Ryan Leef
of the Conservative Party
. Leef was first elected to the House of Commons in 2011. Previous Members of Parliament include Larry Bagnell
(Liberal Party
, 2000–2011), Louise Hardy
(New Democratic Party
(NDP), 1997–2000), Audrey McLaughlin
(NDP, 1987–1997), Erik Nielsen (Progressive Conservative Party
, 1957–1987), James Aubrey Simmons
(Liberal, 1949–1957).
Yukon is allocated one Senate of Canada seat and has been represented by three Senators since the position was created in 1975. The Senate position is currently held by Daniel Lang
, who was appointed on 22 December 2008. It was previously filled by Ione Christensen
, of the Liberal Party. Appointed to the Senate in 1999 by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien
, Mrs. Christensen resigned in December 2006 to help her ailing husband. From 1975 to 1999, Paul Lucier
(Liberal) served as Senator for the Yukon. Lucier was appointed by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
.
. An umbrella land claim agreement
representing 7,000 members of 14 different First Nations was signed with the federal government in 1992. Each of the individual First Nations then has to negotiate a specific land claim and a self-government agreement. As of December 2005, 11 of the 14 First Nations had a signed agreement. The 14 First Nation governments are:
The territory once had an Inuit
settlement, located on Herschel Island
off the Arctic
coast. This settlement was dismantled in 1987 and its inhabitants relocated to the neighbouring Northwest Territories. As a result of the Inuvialuit
Final Agreement, the island is now a territorial park and is known officially as Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park, Qikiqtaruk being the name of the island in Inuvialuktun
. There are also 14 First Nations that speak eight different languages.
1 Part of "Metro" Whitehorse Census Agglomeration
Lists:
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...
's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River
Yukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in
Gwich’in language
The Gwich’in language is the Athabaskan language of the Gwich’in indigenous people. It is also known in older or dialect-specific publications as Kutchin, Takudh, Tukudh, or Loucheux. In the Northwest Territories and Yukon of Canada, it is used principally in the towns of Inuvik, Aklavik, Fort...
.
The territory was created from the rump of the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
's North-Western Territory
North-Western Territory
The North-Western Territory was a region of British North America until 1870. Named for where it lay in relation to Rupert's Land, the territory at its greatest extent covered what is now Yukon, mainland Northwest Territories, northwestern mainland Nunavut, northwestern Saskatchewan, northern...
in 1898 as "the Yukon". Receiving royal assent on March 27, 2002, the federal government moderized the Yukon Act to confirm "Yukon", rather than "Yukon Territory", as the current usage standard. Though officially bilingual (English and French) the Yukon Government also recognizes First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
languages.
At 5959 m (19,550.5 ft), Yukon's Mount Logan
Mount Logan
Mount Logan is the highest mountain in Canada and the second-highest peak in North America, after Mount McKinley . The mountain was named after Sir William Edmond Logan, a Canadian geologist and founder of the Geological Survey of Canada . Mount Logan is located within Kluane National Park and...
, in Kluane National Park and Reserve
Kluane National Park and Reserve
Kluane National Park and Reserve are two units of Canada's national park system, located in the extreme southwestern corner of Yukon Territory. Kluane National Park Reserve was established in 1972, covering 22,016 square kilometres....
, is the highest mountain in Canada and the second-highest of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
(after Mount McKinley
Mount McKinley
Mount McKinley or Denali in Alaska, United States is the highest mountain peak in North America and the United States, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.- Geology and features :Mount McKinley is a granitic pluton...
in the U.S. state of Alaska). The territory's climate is Arctic and subarctic, resulting in long cold winters, short summers, and little precipitation.
Geography and ecology
The territory is the approximate shape of a right triangle
Right triangle
A right triangle or right-angled triangle is a triangle in which one angle is a right angle . The relation between the sides and angles of a right triangle is the basis for trigonometry.-Terminology:The side opposite the right angle is called the hypotenuse...
, bordering the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to the west for 1,210 km (752 mi) mostly along longitude 141° W, 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...
to the east and 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...
to the south. Its northern coast is on the Beaufort Sea
Beaufort Sea
The Beaufort Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Alaska, west of Canada's Arctic islands. The sea is named after hydrographer Sir Francis Beaufort...
. Its ragged eastern boundary mostly follows the divide between the Yukon Basin and the Mackenzie River
Mackenzie River
The Mackenzie River is the largest river system in Canada. It flows through a vast, isolated region of forest and tundra entirely within the country's Northwest Territories, although its many tributaries reach into four other Canadian provinces and territories...
drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
to the east in the Mackenzie mountains. Whitehorse
Whitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse is Yukon's capital and largest city . It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1476 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which originates in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in...
is the territorial capital.
Most of the territory is in the watershed of its namesake, the Yukon River
Yukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
. The southern Yukon is dotted with a large number of large, long and narrow glacier-fed alpine lakes, most of which flow into the Yukon River system. The larger lakes include Teslin Lake
Teslin Lake
Teslin Lake is a large lake spanning the border between British Columbia and Yukon in Canada. It is one of a group of large lakes in the region of far northwestern BC, east of the upper Alaska Panhandle, which are the southern extremity of the basin of the Yukon River, and which are known in the...
, Atlin Lake
Atlin Lake
Atlin Lake is a lake in northwestern British Columbia and is that province's largest natural lake. The northern tip of the lake is in the Yukon, as is Little Atlin Lake. However, most of the lake lies within the Atlin District of British Columbia...
, Tagish Lake
Tagish Lake
Tagish Lake is a lake in the Yukon Territory and northern British Columbia, Canada. The lake is more than long and about 2 km wide.It has two arms, the Taku Arm in the east which is very long and mostly in British Columbia and Windy Arm in the west, mostly in the Yukon. The Klondike Highway runs...
, Marsh Lake
Marsh Lake
Marsh Lake is a widening of the Yukon River southeast of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. It is over 30 kilometres long and ranges from three to four kilometres wide.The co-ordinates of the lake are , and is 2,147 feet above sea level...
, Lake Laberge
Lake Laberge
Lake Laberge is a widening of the Yukon River north of Whitehorse, Yukon in Canada. It is fifty kilometres long and ranges from two to five kilometres wide. Its water is always very cold, and its weather often harsh and suddenly variable....
, Kusawa Lake
Kusawa Lake
-References:*...
and Kluane Lake
Kluane Lake
Kluane Lake is located in the southwest area of the Yukon. At approximately , and long, it is the largest lake contained entirely within the territorial border....
. Bennett Lake on the Klondike
Klondike, Yukon
The Klondike is a region of the Yukon in northwest Canada, east of the Alaska border. It lies around the Klondike River, a small river that enters the Yukon from the east at Dawson....
Gold Rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
trail is a lake flowing into Nares Lake, with the greater part of its area within the Yukon.
Canada's highest point, Mount Logan (5959 m (19,551 ft)), is in the territory's southwest. Mount Logan and a large part of the Yukon's southwest are in Kluane National Park and Reserve
Kluane National Park and Reserve
Kluane National Park and Reserve are two units of Canada's national park system, located in the extreme southwestern corner of Yukon Territory. Kluane National Park Reserve was established in 1972, covering 22,016 square kilometres....
, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. Other national parks include Ivvavik National Park
Ivvavik National Park
Ivvavik National Park is a national park located in the Yukon, Canada. Meaning "nursery" or "birthplace" in Inuvialuktun, this was the first national park to be established as a result of a land claim agreement with its natives.-See also:...
and Vuntut National Park
Vuntut National Park
Vuntut National Park is a national park located in the northern Yukon, Canada. It was established in 1995. Due to land claims negotiations, this national park is still very undeveloped. It currently has no roads or developed trails....
in the north.
Other watersheds include the Mackenzie River, the Peel watershed
Peel Watershed
The Peel Watershed drains 14% of the Yukon Territory Canada and flows into the Beaufort Sea via the Peel and then Mackenzie Rivers. While the lower part of the Peel River and its confluence with the Mackenzie River are in the North West Territories, most of the watershed, 68,000 km2 out of...
and the Alsek
Alsek River
The Alsek River is a wilderness river flowing from the Yukon into Northern British Columbia and into Alaska. The surrounding area from the Western edge of the Alsek to East of the East Alsek is known to locals as Dry Bay.-Course:...
–Tatshenshini
Tatshenshini River
The Tatshenshini River is a river in the southwestern Yukon and the northwestern corner of British Columbia. It originates in British Columbia, near Haines Highway...
, as well as a number of rivers flowing directly into the Beaufort Sea. The two main Yukon rivers flowing into the Mackenzie in the Northwest Territories are 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...
in the southeast and the Peel River
Peel River (Canada)
The Peel River is a tributary of the Mackenzie River in the Yukon and Northwest Territories in Canada. Its source is in the Ogilvie Mountains in the central Yukon at the confluence of the Ogilvie River and Blackstone River...
and its tributaries in the northeast.
Notable widespread tree species within the Yukon are the Black Spruce
Black Spruce
Picea mariana is a species of spruce native to northern North America, from Newfoundland west to Alaska, and south to northern New York, Minnesota and central British Columbia...
and White Spruce
White Spruce
Picea glauca is a species of spruce native to boreal forests in the north of North America, from central Alaska east to Newfoundland, and south to northern Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine; there is also an isolated population in the...
. Many trees are stunted because of the short growing season and severe climate.
The capital, Whitehorse
Whitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse is Yukon's capital and largest city . It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1476 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which originates in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in...
, is also the largest city, with about two-thirds of the population; the second largest is Dawson City
Dawson City, Yukon
The Town of the City of Dawson or Dawson City is a town in the Yukon, Canada.The population was 1,327 at the 2006 census. The area draws some 60,000 visitors each year...
, (pop. 1,250) which was the capital until 1952.
History
Long before the arrival of EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans, central and northern Yukon escaped glaciation
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
as it was part of Beringia (Bering land bridge
Bering land bridge
The Bering land bridge was a land bridge roughly 1,000 miles wide at its greatest extent, which joined present-day Alaska and eastern Siberia at various times during the Pleistocene ice ages. Like most of Siberia and all of Manchuria, Beringia was not glaciated because snowfall was extremely light...
). The volcanic
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
eruption of Mount Churchill
Mount Churchill
Mount Churchill is a volcano in the Saint Elias Mountains and the Wrangell Volcanic Field of eastern Alaska. Churchill and its higher neighbor Mount Bona about to the southwest are both large ice-covered stratovolcanoes, with Churchill being the fourth highest volcano in the United States and the...
near the Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
border blanketed southern Yukon with a layer of ash
Volcanic ash
Volcanic ash consists of small tephra, which are bits of pulverized rock and glass created by volcanic eruptions, less than in diameter. There are three mechanisms of volcanic ash formation: gas release under decompression causing magmatic eruptions; thermal contraction from chilling on contact...
which can still be seen along the Klondike Highway
Klondike Highway
The Klondike Highway links the Alaskan coastal town of Skagway to Yukon's Dawson City and its route somewhat parallels that used by prospectors in the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush....
. Coastal and inland First Nations already had extensive trading networks and European incursions into the area only began early in the 19th century with the fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
, followed by missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
and the Western Union Telegraph Expedition.
By the end of the 19th century gold miners were trickling in on rumours of gold, driving a population increase justifying the setting up of a police force, just in time for the start of the Klondike Gold Rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
in 1897. The increased population coming with the gold rush led to the separation of the Yukon district from the Northwest Territories and the formation of the separate Yukon Territory in 1898.
Demographics
Ethnicity
The 2006 Canadian censusCanada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
examined Canadians' ethnicity and ancestry (beyond grandparents). Out of a Yukon population of 30,195, only 13,045 (43%) responded with a single answer, 57% of respondents selected multiple ethnicity making a 'simple' assessment of the ethnic portrait impossible. From the total answers (118,035) 13% are of aboriginal, North American Indian, or Métis origin. This percentage might be a little higher if the 'Canadian' origin includes both First Nations people and European descendents. The categories for other origins are confounding ('European' vs 'Western European' vs 'French' vs 'Scottish', etc.) and therefore a further breakdown is not realistic. According the Statistics Canada 2006 Community Profiles page, Yukoners of aboriginal identity population (including all persons with treaty status or band registry) represent 25% of the population.
| Linguistic Grouping | Tribe |
|---|---|
| Gwich’in Gwich’in The Gwich’in , literally "one who dwells" or "resident of [a region]", are a First Nations/Alaska Native people who live in the northwestern part of North America mostly above the Arctic Circle... |
Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation is a First Nation in the northern Yukon Territory in Canada. Its main population centre is Old Crow, Yukon. As the name indicates, the language originally spoken by the people is Gwichʼin language.... , Old Crow Old Crow, Yukon -Population data:-External links:******, a National Film Board of Canada documentary... |
| Hän Hän language The Hän language is a Native American endangered language spoken in only two places: Eagle, Alaska and Dawson City, Yukon. There are only a few fluent speakers left , all of them elderly.... |
Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in is a First Nations located in the central Yukon, Canada. Its main population centre is Dawson City, Yukon.Many of today’s Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, or people of the river, are descendants of the Hän-speaking people who have lived along the Yukon River for thousands of years... , Dawson City Dawson City, Yukon The Town of the City of Dawson or Dawson City is a town in the Yukon, Canada.The population was 1,327 at the 2006 census. The area draws some 60,000 visitors each year... |
| Upper Tanana Upper Tanana language Upper Tanana is an endangered Athabaskan language spoken in eastern Interior Alaska, mainly in the villages of Northway, Tetlin, and Tok, and adjacent areas of Canada's Yukon Territory... |
White River First Nation White River First Nation The White River First Nation is a First Nation in the western Yukon Territory in Canada. Its main population centre is Beaver Creek, Yukon... , Beaver Creek Beaver Creek, Yukon - External links :* *...
|
| Northern Tutchone Northern Tutchone The Northern Tutchone are a First Nations people living mainly in the central Yukon in Canada. The Northern Tutchone language, originally spoken by the Northern Tutchone people, is a variety of the Tutchone language, part of the Athabaskan language family... |
Selkirk First Nation Selkirk First Nation The Selkirk First Nation is a First Nation in the central Yukon Territory in Canada. Its original population centre was the trading post of Selkirk, Yukon along the Yukon River, but most of its citizens now live in Pelly Crossing, Yukon where the Klondike Highway crosses the Pelly River. The... Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation The Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation is a First Nation in the central Yukon Territory in Canada. Its original population centre was Little Salmon, Yukon, but most of its citizens live in Carmacks, Yukon... First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun The First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun is a First Nation in the Yukon Territory in Canada. Its main population centre is in Mayo, Yukon, but many of its members live across Canada and the United States. The language originally spoken by the people of this First Nation is Northern Tutchone... , Mayo Mayo, Yukon Mayo is a village in the Yukon, Canada, along the Silver Trail and the Stewart River. The population was 248 in 2006. It is also the home of the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, whose primary language is Northern Tutchone. Nacho Nyak Dun translates into "big river people". It is serviced by Mayo... |
| Southern Tutchone Southern Tutchone The Southern Tutchone are a First Nations people living mainly in the southern Yukon in Canada. The Southern Tutchone language, originally spoken by the Southern Tutchone people is a variety of the Tutchone language, part of the Athabaskan language family, although it may be argued that Northern... |
Champagne and Aishihik First Nations Champagne and Aishihik First Nations The Champagne and Aishihik First Nations is a First Nation in the Yukon Territory in Canada. Its original population centres were Champagne and Aishihik, but most of its citizens moved to Haines Junction to take advantage of services offered there such as schools. The First Nation government has... , Haines Junction Haines Junction, Yukon Haines Junction is a village in the Yukon, Canada. It is located at Kilometre 1,632 of the Alaska Highway at its junction with the Haines Highway, hence the name of the community. According to the 2006 Census the population was 589. It is next to Kluane National Park and Reserve... Kluane First Nation The Kluane First Nation is a small First Nation in Yukon in Canada. Its main centre is in Burwash Landing, Yukon on Kluane Lake along the Alaska Highway. The native language spoken by the people of this First Nation is Southern Tutchone.... , Burwash Landing Burwash Landing, Yukon -Tourism:Burwash Landing has a post office, community hall, laundromat and church. Visitor services include gas, food, camping and lodging. Walking trail along the Alaska Highway between Duke Trading Post and Dalan Campground. Flightseeing trips of Kluane National Park and Reserve are also... Ta'an Kwach'an Council The Ta'an Kwach'an Council is a First Nation in Whitehorse and Lake Laberge area in Canada's Yukon Territory. It split from the Whitehorse Indian Band to negotiate a separate land claim. The language originally spoken by the Ta'an people was Southern Tutchone.... , Lake Laberge Lake Laberge Lake Laberge is a widening of the Yukon River north of Whitehorse, Yukon in Canada. It is fifty kilometres long and ranges from two to five kilometres wide. Its water is always very cold, and its weather often harsh and suddenly variable.... Kwanlin Dün First Nation The Kwanlin Dün First Nation is located in and around Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory of Canada. It is the largest First Nation in the Yukon. Linguistically, the Kwanlin Dün are affiliated with the Southern Tutchone Tribal Council. The Kwanlin Dün include people of Southern Tutchone, Tagish and... , Whitehorse Whitehorse, Yukon Whitehorse is Yukon's capital and largest city . It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1476 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which originates in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in... |
| Kaska Kaska The Kaska or Kaska Dena are a First Nations people living mainly in northern British Columbia and the southeastern Yukon in Canada. The Kaska language originally spoken by the Kaska is an Athabaskan language.... |
Ross River Dena Council Ross River Dena Council The Ross River Dena Council is a First Nation in the eastern Yukon Territory in Canada. Its main centre is in Ross River, Yukon at the junction of the Campbell Highway and the Canol Road, near the confluence of the Pelly River and the Ross River... , Ross River Ross River, Yukon Ross River is an unincorporated community in the Yukon, Canada. It lies at the juncture of the Ross River and the Pelly River, along the Canol Road, not far from the Campbell Highway. Primary access to the Campbell Highway is a nine-mile access road of superior alignment, not the six-mile Canol... Liard River First Nation The Liard River First Nation, also known s the Liard First Nation is a First Nation in the southeastern Yukon Territory in Canada. Its main centres are Upper Liard, Yukon and Watson Lake, Yukon along the Alaska Highway... , Watson Lake Watson Lake, Yukon Watson Lake is a town at historical mile 635 on the Alaska Highway in the southeastern Yukon close to the British Columbia border. Population in December 2004 was 1,547 .... |
| Inland Tlingit | Teslin Tlingit Council Teslin Tlingit Council The Teslin Tlingit Council is a First Nation government in the central Yukon in Canada, located in Teslin, Yukon along the Alaska Highway and Teslin Lake. The language originally spoken by the Teslin is Tlingit... |
| Tagish Tagish The Tagish or Tagish Khwáan are a group of Athabaskan First Nation people that lived around Tagish Lake and Marsh Lake, in the Yukon Territory of Canada. Tagish people intermarried heavily with Tlingit people from the coast and the Tagish language is almost extinct... |
Carcross/Tagish First Nation Carcross/Tagish First Nation The Carcross/Tagish First Nation is a First Nation in the Yukon Territory in Canada. Its original population centres were Carcross, Yukon and Tagish, Yukon, although many of its citizens also live in Whitehorse... |
Language
The Canada 2006 Census|2006 Canadian census showed a population of 30,372.Of the 29,940 singular responses to the census question concerning 'mother tongue' the most commonly reported languages were:
| 1. | English | 25,655 | 85.69% |
| 2. | French | 1,105 | 3.69% |
| 3. | German | 775 | 2.59% |
| 4. | Chinese | 260 | 0.87% |
| 5. | Tagalog | 145 | 0.48% |
| 6. | Dutch | 140 | 0.47% |
| 7. | Spanish | 130 | 0.43% |
| 8. | Vietnamese | 105 | 0.35% |
| 9. | Hungarian | 80 | 0.27% |
| 10. | Punjabi | 80 | 0.27% |
| 11. | Gwich'in | 75 | 0.25% |
| 12. | Tlingit | 70 | 0.11% |
| 13. | Yakuts (Sakha) | 65 | 0.11% |
There were also 150 responses of both English and a ' language'; 10 of both French and a ' language'; 110 of both English and French; and about 175 people who either did not respond to the question, or reported multiple languages, or else gave another unenumerated response. Yukon's official languages are shown in bold. Figures shown are for the number of single-language responses and the percentage of total single-language responses.
The Language Act of Yukon "recognises the significance" of aboriginal languages in Yukon; however, only English and French are available for laws, court proceedings, and legislative assembly proceedings.
Religion
In the 2001 census, 37.4% of residents claimed no religion. The largest denominations by number of adherents according to the 2001 census were the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
with 5,975 (22 percent); the Anglican Church of Canada
Anglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada is the Province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French name is l'Église Anglicane du Canada. The ACC is the third largest church in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, consisting of 800,000 registered members...
with 3,795 (13 percent); and the United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
with 2,105 (7 percent).
Economy
Yukon's historical major industry has been miningMining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
(lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
and copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
). The government acquired the land from the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
in 1870 and split it from 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...
in 1898 to fill the need for local government created by the population influx of the gold rush.
Thousands of these prospectors flooded the territory, creating a colourful period recorded by authors such as Robert W. Service
Robert W. Service
Robert William Service was a poet and writer who has often been called "the Bard of the Yukon".Service is best known for his poems "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" and "The Cremation of Sam McGee", from his first book, Songs of a Sourdough...
and Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
. The memory of this period and the early days of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
, as well as the territory's scenic wonders and outdoor recreation opportunities, makes tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
the second most important industry.
Manufacturing, including furniture, clothing, and handicrafts, follows in importance, along with hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
. The traditional industries of trapping and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
have declined. Today, the government sector is by far the biggest employer in the territory, directly employing approximately 5,000 out of a labour force of 12,500.
Tourism
Yukon's tourism motto is "Larger than life". The Yukon's major appeal is its nearly pristine nature. Tourism relies heavily on this, and there are many organised outfitterOutfitter
An outfitter is a shop or person that sells men's clothes . More specifically, it is a company or individual who provides or deals in equipment and supplies for the pursuit of certain activities. The term is most closely associated with outdoor activities such as rafting, hunting, fishing,...
s and guide
Guide
A guide is a person who leads anyone through unknown or unmapped country. This includes a guide of the real world , as well as a person who leads someone to more abstract places .-Guide - meanings related to travel and recreational pursuits:There are many variants of...
s available to hunters
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
and anglers
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
and nature lovers of all sorts. Sports enthusiasts can paddle lakes and rivers with canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s and kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
s, ride or walk trails, ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
or snowboard
Snowboard
Snowboards are boards, usually with a width the length of one's foot, with the ability to glide on snow. Snowboards are differentiated from monoskis by the stance of the user...
in an organised setting or access the backcountry
Backcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing is skiing in a sparsely inhabited rural region over ungroomed and unmarked slopes or pistes, including skiing in unmarked or unpatrolled areas either within the ski resort's boundaries or in the backcountry, frequently amongst trees , usually in pursuit of fresh fallen powder...
by air or snowmobile
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
, climb the highest peaks in 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...
or take a family hike up smaller mountains, or try ice climbing
Ice climbing
Ice climbing, as the term indicates, is the activity of ascending inclined ice formations. Usually, ice climbing refers to roped and protected climbing of features such as icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rock slabs covered with ice refrozen from flows of water. For the purposes of...
and dog sled
Dog sled
A dog sled is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function. They can be used for dog sled racing.-History:...
ding.
Yukon also has a wide array of cultural and sporting events and infrastructures that attract artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s, participants and tourists from all parts of the world (Yukon International Storytelling Festival
Yukon International Storytelling Festival
The Yukon International Storytelling Festival is held every Summer in Whitehorse, Yukon, generally in an outdoor setting. The storytelling festival was conceived in the mid 1980s when one the Yukon's last Tagish speakers found herself going to the to disseminate her peoples' stories to a world...
, Frostbite Music Festival, Dawson Music Festival, Yukon Quest
Yukon Quest
The Yukon Quest 1,000-mile International Sled Dog Race, or simply Yukon Quest, is a sled dog race run every February between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Whitehorse, Yukon...
, Sourdough Rendezvous, the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre
Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre
The Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre is a research and exhibition facility located at km 1423 on the Alaska Hwy in Whitehorse, Yukon, which opened in 1997....
, Northern Lights Centre, Klondike Gold Rush memorials and activities, "Takhini Hot Springs", and the Whitehorse fish ladder.
There are many opportunities to experience pre-colonial lifestyles by learning about Yukon's First Nations. Wildlife and nature observation is exceptional and a wide variety of large mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, and fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
are easily accessible, whether or not within Yukon's many territorial park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s (Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park, Tombstone Territorial Park, Fishing Branch Ni'iinlii'njik Park, Coal River Springs Territorial Park) and national parks (Kluane National Park and Reserve
Kluane National Park and Reserve
Kluane National Park and Reserve are two units of Canada's national park system, located in the extreme southwestern corner of Yukon Territory. Kluane National Park Reserve was established in 1972, covering 22,016 square kilometres....
, Vuntut National Park
Vuntut National Park
Vuntut National Park is a national park located in the northern Yukon, Canada. It was established in 1995. Due to land claims negotiations, this national park is still very undeveloped. It currently has no roads or developed trails....
, Ivvavik National Park
Ivvavik National Park
Ivvavik National Park is a national park located in the Yukon, Canada. Meaning "nursery" or "birthplace" in Inuvialuktun, this was the first national park to be established as a result of a land claim agreement with its natives.-See also:...
) and reserves
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
, or nearby Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park
Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park
Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is home to the second largest hot spring in Canada. The park is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. The community of Liard River, British Columbia is located nearby.-History and...
in 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...
.
On the long, cold, and clear nights of winter, nature provides the ultimate natural spectacle in the form of aurora borealis
Aurora (astronomy)
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
.
Transportation
Before modern forms of transportation, the rivers and mountain passes were the main transportation routes for the coastal Tlingit people trading with the Athabascans of which the Chilkoot PassChilkoot Pass
Chilkoot Pass is a high mountain pass through the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the U.S. state of Alaska and British Columbia, Canada. It is the highest point along the Chilkoot Trail that leads from Dyea, Alaska to Bennett Lake, British Columbia...
and Dalton Trail
Dalton Trail
The Dalton Trail is a trail that runs between Pyramid Harbor, west of Haines, Alaska in the United States, and Fort Selkirk, in the Yukon Territory of Canada, using the Chilkat Pass. It is 396 km long....
, as well as the first Europeans.
From the Gold Rush until the 1950s, riverboats plied the Yukon River, mostly between Whitehorse and Dawson City, with some making their way further to Alaska and over to the Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
, and other tributaries of Yukon River such as the Stewart River
Stewart River
The Stewart River is a long river in the Yukon Territory of Canada. It originates in the Selwyn Mountains, which stand on the border between the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory. From there, the Stewart flows west, past the village of Mayo...
. Most of the riverboats were owned by the British-Yukon Navigation Company, an arm of the White Pass and Yukon Route
White Pass and Yukon Route
The White Pass and Yukon Route is a Canadian and U.S. Class II narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska, with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other railroad. Equipment, freight and passengers are ferried by ship through the...
, which also operated a narrow gauge railway between Skagway, Alaska
Skagway, Alaska
Skagway is a first-class borough in Alaska, on the Alaska Panhandle. It was formerly a city first incorporated in 1900 that was re-incorporated as a borough on June 25, 2007. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 862...
, and Whitehorse. The railway ceased operation in the 1980s with the first closure of the Faro
Faro, Yukon
Faro is a small town in the central Yukon, Canada, formerly the home of the largest open pit lead–zinc mine in the world as well as a significant producer of silver and other natural resource ventures. The mine was built by the Ralph M. Parsons Construction Company of the USA with General...
mine. It is now run during the summer months for the tourism season, with operations as far as Carcross
Carcross, Yukon
Carcross, originally known as Caribou Crossing, is an unincorporated community in the Territory of Yukon, Canada on Bennett Lake and Nares Lake. It has a population of 431 and is home to the Carcross/Tagish First Nation....
.
Today, major land routes include the Alaska Highway
Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous U.S. to Alaska through Canada. It begins at the junction with several Canadian highways in Dawson Creek, British Columbia and runs to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon...
, the Klondike Highway
Klondike Highway
The Klondike Highway links the Alaskan coastal town of Skagway to Yukon's Dawson City and its route somewhat parallels that used by prospectors in the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush....
(between Skagway and Dawson City), the Haines Highway
Haines Highway
The Haines Highway or Haines Cut-Off is a highway that connects Haines, Alaska, in the United States, with Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada, passing through the province of British Columbia. It follows the route of the old Dalton Trail from the port of Haines inland for about to Klukshu, Yukon, and...
(between Haines, Alaska
Haines, Alaska
Haines is a census-designated place in Haines Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the area was 1,811. Haines was formerly a city but no longer has a municipal government...
, and Haines Junction
Haines Junction, Yukon
Haines Junction is a village in the Yukon, Canada. It is located at Kilometre 1,632 of the Alaska Highway at its junction with the Haines Highway, hence the name of the community. According to the 2006 Census the population was 589. It is next to Kluane National Park and Reserve...
), and the Dempster Highway
Dempster Highway
The Dempster Highway, also referred to as Yukon Highway 5 and Northwest Territories Highway 8, is a highway that connects the Klondike Highway in Yukon, Canada to Inuvik, Northwest Territories on the Mackenzie River delta...
(linking Inuvik, Northwest Territories
Inuvik, Northwest Territories
Inuvik is a town in the Northwest Territories of Canada and is the administrative centre for the Inuvik Region.The population as of the 2006 Census was 3,484, but the two previous census counts show wide fluctuations due to economic conditions: 2,894 in 2001 and 3,296 in 1996...
to the Klondike Highway), all paved except for the Dempster. Other highways with less traffic include the "Robert Campbell Highway
Robert Campbell Highway
Yukon Highway 4, also known as the Robert Campbell Highway or Campbell Highway, is a road between Watson Lake, Yukon on the Alaska Highway to Carmacks, Yukon on the Klondike Highway. It is long and mostly gravel-surfaced...
" linking Carmacks
Carmacks, Yukon
-History:The community consists of the Village of Carmacks and the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation and was named after George Washington Carmack, who found coal near Tantalus Butte in 1893. Carmack built a trading post and traded with locals near the present site of Carmacks and also started a...
(on the Klondike Highway) to Watson Lake
Watson Lake, Yukon
Watson Lake is a town at historical mile 635 on the Alaska Highway in the southeastern Yukon close to the British Columbia border. Population in December 2004 was 1,547 ....
(Alaska Highway) via Faro and Ross River
Ross River, Yukon
Ross River is an unincorporated community in the Yukon, Canada. It lies at the juncture of the Ross River and the Pelly River, along the Canol Road, not far from the Campbell Highway. Primary access to the Campbell Highway is a nine-mile access road of superior alignment, not the six-mile Canol...
, and the "Silver Trail
Silver Trail
The Silver Trail connects the communities of Mayo, Elsa and Keno City with the Klondike Highway at Stewart Crossing, where that highway crosses the Stewart River....
" linking the old silver mining communities of Mayo
Mayo, Yukon
Mayo is a village in the Yukon, Canada, along the Silver Trail and the Stewart River. The population was 248 in 2006. It is also the home of the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, whose primary language is Northern Tutchone. Nacho Nyak Dun translates into "big river people". It is serviced by Mayo...
, Elsa
Elsa, Yukon
Elsa is a privately owned mining town based on silver, lead, and zinc in Yukon, Canada. It is located between the valley of the Stewart River to the south and the Mackenzie Mountains to the north. It is to the north of Whitehorse, and east of the Alaskan border...
and Keno City
Keno City, Yukon
Keno City is a small community in the Yukon at the end of the Silver Trail highway. Population was about 20 in 2001. Keno City was the site of a former silver-lead mining area proximal to Keno Hill. Keno City is 13 kilometres away from the Elsa, Yukon, which is owned by Alexco Resource Corp who...
to the Klondike Highway at the Stewart River bridge. Air travel is the only way to reach the far north community of Old Crow.
Whitehorse International Airport serves as the air transport infrastructure hub, with direct flights to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
, and Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
(summer months). Every Yukon community is served by an airport. The communities of Dawson City, Old Crow, and Inuvik, have regular passenger service through Air North
Air North
Air North Charter and Training Ltd., operating as Air North, Yukon's Airline is a Canadian airline based in Whitehorse, Yukon. It operates scheduled passenger, charter, cargo and ground handling services throughout the Yukon, with flights to the Northwest Territories, Alaska, British Columbia, and...
. Air charter businesses exist primarily to serve the tourism and mining exploration industries.
Government and politics
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
-administered North-Western Territory
North-Western Territory
The North-Western Territory was a region of British North America until 1870. Named for where it lay in relation to Rupert's Land, the territory at its greatest extent covered what is now Yukon, mainland Northwest Territories, northwestern mainland Nunavut, northwestern Saskatchewan, northern...
and then the Canadian-administered Northwest Territories. It only obtained a recognizable local government in 1895 when it became a separate district of the Northwest Territories. In 1898, it was made a separate territory with its own commissioner and appointed Territorial Council.
Prior to 1979, the territory was administered by the commissioner who was appointed by the federal Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (Canada)
The Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who heads two different departments...
. The commissioner used to chair and had a role in appointing the territory's Executive Council and had a day to day role in governing the territory. The elected Territorial Council had a purely advisory role. In 1979, a significant degree of power was devolved
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
from the federal government and commissioner to the territorial legislature which, in that year, adopted a party system of responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
. This was done through a letter from Jake Epp
Jake Epp
Arthur Jacob "Jake" Epp, PC, OC is an executive and former Canadian politician.Born into a Mennonite family in Manitoba, Jake Epp was a high school history teacher in Steinbach, Manitoba before entering politics...
, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development rather than through formal legislation.
In preparation for responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
, political parties were organised and ran candidates to the Yukon Legislative Assembly
Yukon Legislative Assembly
-History:From 1900 to 1978, the elected legislative body in the Yukon was the Yukon Territorial Council, a ten-member body which did not act as the primary government, but was a non-partisan advisory body to the Commissioner of the Yukon...
for the first time in 1978. The Progressive Conservatives
Yukon Party
The Yukon Party , is a conservative political party in the Yukon Territory of Canada. It was previously known as the Yukon Progressive Conservative Party.-Declining fortunes:...
won these elections and formed the first party government of Yukon in January 1979. The Yukon New Democratic Party
Yukon New Democratic Party
The Yukon New Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Yukon territory of Canada.The Yukon NDP first formed the government of the territory under the leadership of Tony Penikett from 1985 to 1992, and under the leadership of Piers McDonald from 1996 to 2000. The party's...
(NDP) formed the government from 1985 to 1992 under Tony Penikett
Tony Penikett
Antony David John Penikett is a mediator and negotiator and former politician in Yukon, Canada.-Life and work:An activist with the New Democratic Party , Penikett was campaign manager in 1972 for Wally Firth, the first indigenous northern MP ever elected to the House of Commons...
and again from 1996 under Piers McDonald
Piers McDonald
Piers McDonald, OC is a Yukon politician and trade unionist.Born in Kingston, Ontario, McDonald, a miner by profession, was vice-president of the Yukon Federation of Labour from 1981-1982...
until being defeated in 2000. The conservatives returned to power in 1992 under John Ostashek
John Ostashek
John Ostashek was a former Yukon politician. An entrepreneur, he was elected leader of the Yukon Party in June 1992 and led it to victory in the fall 1992 election in which he also won a seat in the legislature for the first time....
after having renamed themselves the Yukon Party
Yukon Party
The Yukon Party , is a conservative political party in the Yukon Territory of Canada. It was previously known as the Yukon Progressive Conservative Party.-Declining fortunes:...
. The Liberal
Yukon Liberal Party
The Yukon Liberal Party is a political party in the Yukon Territory in Canada.Arthur Mitchell is the Leader of the Yukon Liberal Party.-History:...
government of Pat Duncan
Pat Duncan
Pat Duncan is a former politician in the Yukon, Canada. Duncan served as leader of the Yukon Liberal Party from 1998 to 2005 and as the sixth Premier of Yukon from 2000 until 2002...
was defeated in elections in November 2002, with Dennis Fentie
Dennis Fentie
Dennis G. Fentie, MLA is a Canadian politician. He was the seventh Premier of Yukon and leader of the Yukon Party, serving from 2002 to 2011, as well as the MLA for Watson Lake.-Background:...
of the Yukon Party forming the government as Premier
Premier (Canada)
In Canada, a premier is the head of government of a province or territory. There are currently ten provincial premiers and three territorial premiers in Canada....
.
The Yukon Act, passed on April 1, 2003, formalised the powers of the Yukon government and devolved additional powers to the territorial government (e.g., control over land and natural resources). As of 2003, other than criminal prosecutions, the Yukon government has much of the same powers as provincial governments, and the other two territories are looking to obtaining the same powers. Today the role of commissioner is analogous to that of a provincial lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
; however, unlike lieutenant-governors, commissioners are not formal representatives of the Queen but are employees of the federal government.
Although there has been discussion in the past about Yukon becoming Canada's 11th province, it is generally felt that its population base is too sparse for this to occur at present.
At the federal level, the territory is presently represented in the Parliament of Canada
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
by a single Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and one senator. Canadian territories' members of Parliament are full and equal voting representatives and residents of the territory enjoy the same rights as other Canadian citizens. One Yukon Member of Parliament — Erik Nielsen
Erik Nielsen
Erik Hersholt Nielsen, PC, DFC, QC was a Canadian politician, and longtime Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for Yukon....
— was the Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
The Deputy Prime Minister of Canada is an honorary position in the cabinet, conferred at the discretion of the prime minister. There is currently, , no deputy prime minister....
under the government of Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
, while another — Audrey McLaughlin
Audrey McLaughlin
Audrey McLaughlin, PC, OC was leader of Canada's New Democratic Party from 1989 to 1995. She was the first female leader of a political party with representation in the Canadian House of Commons, as well as the first federal political party leader to represent an electoral district in a Canadian...
— was the leader of the federal New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
.
Yukon was one of nine jurisdictions in Canada to offer same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage in Yukon
Same-sex marriage in Yukon began on July 14, 2004, when Yukon Territory became the fourth jurisdiction in Canada to legalize same-sex marriage, after the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec....
before the passage of Canada's Civil Marriage Act
Civil Marriage Act
The Civil Marriage Act was legislation legalizing same-sex marriage across Canada...
.
Federal government representation
In the Canadian House of CommonsCanadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
, Yukon is represented by Ryan Leef
Ryan Leef
Ryan Leef is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 election. He represents the electoral district of Yukon as a member of the Conservative Party.-References:...
of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
. Leef was first elected to the House of Commons in 2011. Previous Members of Parliament include Larry Bagnell
Larry Bagnell
Lawrence "Larry" Bagnell, PC, MP is a former Canadian politician. He served as a Member of the Canadian House of Commons from 2000 until 2011 sitting with the Liberal caucus in both government and opposition.-Politicial career:...
(Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, 2000–2011), Louise Hardy
Louise Hardy
Louise Frances Hardy was a Canadian New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for the riding of Yukon from 1997 to 2000...
(New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(NDP), 1997–2000), Audrey McLaughlin
Audrey McLaughlin
Audrey McLaughlin, PC, OC was leader of Canada's New Democratic Party from 1989 to 1995. She was the first female leader of a political party with representation in the Canadian House of Commons, as well as the first federal political party leader to represent an electoral district in a Canadian...
(NDP, 1987–1997), Erik Nielsen (Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
, 1957–1987), James Aubrey Simmons
James Aubrey Simmons
James Aubrey Simmons was a Canadian politician and notary.Born in Revelstoke, Saskatchewan, Simmons would go on to sit many times in the Canadian House of Commons representing the Yukon Territory....
(Liberal, 1949–1957).
Yukon is allocated one Senate of Canada seat and has been represented by three Senators since the position was created in 1975. The Senate position is currently held by Daniel Lang
Daniel Lang (Yukon politician)
Hector Daniel Lang is a Canadian politician and a Conservative member of the Canadian Senate. He was appointed on the advice of Stephen Harper to the Senate on January 2, 2009.-Political career:...
, who was appointed on 22 December 2008. It was previously filled by Ione Christensen
Ione Christensen
Ione Jean Christensen, is a former Canadian Senator.The daughter of former North-West Mounted Police constable Gordon Irwin Cameron, and Dawson City born Martha Ballentine Cameron, her family moved to Whitehorse in 1949. Christensen graduated from high school in 1953...
, of the Liberal Party. Appointed to the Senate in 1999 by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
, Mrs. Christensen resigned in December 2006 to help her ailing husband. From 1975 to 1999, Paul Lucier
Paul Lucier
Paul Lucier was a Canadian businessman and Senator.Born in LaSalle, Ontario, the son of Adolph Lucier and Clare Laframboise, he was appointed by Pierre Trudeau the first Senator representing the senatorial division of Yukon in 1975...
(Liberal) served as Senator for the Yukon. Lucier was appointed by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
.
First Nations governments
Much of the population of the territory is First NationsFirst Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
. An umbrella land claim agreement
Yukon Land Claims
The Yukon Land Claims refer to the process of negotiating and settling aboriginal land claims agreements in Yukon, Canada.-History:Unlike other parts of Canada, Yukon First Nations did not conclude any treaties until the 1990s, despite Chief Jim Boss of the Ta'an Kwach'an requesting compensation...
representing 7,000 members of 14 different First Nations was signed with the federal government in 1992. Each of the individual First Nations then has to negotiate a specific land claim and a self-government agreement. As of December 2005, 11 of the 14 First Nations had a signed agreement. The 14 First Nation governments are:
| Government | Seat | Chief |
|---|---|---|
| Carcross/Tagish First Nation Carcross/Tagish First Nation The Carcross/Tagish First Nation is a First Nation in the Yukon Territory in Canada. Its original population centres were Carcross, Yukon and Tagish, Yukon, although many of its citizens also live in Whitehorse... |
Carcross Carcross, Yukon Carcross, originally known as Caribou Crossing, is an unincorporated community in the Territory of Yukon, Canada on Bennett Lake and Nares Lake. It has a population of 431 and is home to the Carcross/Tagish First Nation.... |
Khà Shâde Héni Mark Wedge |
| Champagne and Aishihik First Nations Champagne and Aishihik First Nations The Champagne and Aishihik First Nations is a First Nation in the Yukon Territory in Canada. Its original population centres were Champagne and Aishihik, but most of its citizens moved to Haines Junction to take advantage of services offered there such as schools. The First Nation government has... |
Haines Junction Haines Junction, Yukon Haines Junction is a village in the Yukon, Canada. It is located at Kilometre 1,632 of the Alaska Highway at its junction with the Haines Highway, hence the name of the community. According to the 2006 Census the population was 589. It is next to Kluane National Park and Reserve... |
Diane Strand |
| First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun The First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun is a First Nation in the Yukon Territory in Canada. Its main population centre is in Mayo, Yukon, but many of its members live across Canada and the United States. The language originally spoken by the people of this First Nation is Northern Tutchone... |
Mayo Mayo, Yukon Mayo is a village in the Yukon, Canada, along the Silver Trail and the Stewart River. The population was 248 in 2006. It is also the home of the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, whose primary language is Northern Tutchone. Nacho Nyak Dun translates into "big river people". It is serviced by Mayo... |
Simon Mervyn |
| Kluane First Nation Kluane First Nation The Kluane First Nation is a small First Nation in Yukon in Canada. Its main centre is in Burwash Landing, Yukon on Kluane Lake along the Alaska Highway. The native language spoken by the people of this First Nation is Southern Tutchone.... |
Burwash Landing Burwash Landing, Yukon -Tourism:Burwash Landing has a post office, community hall, laundromat and church. Visitor services include gas, food, camping and lodging. Walking trail along the Alaska Highway between Duke Trading Post and Dalan Campground. Flightseeing trips of Kluane National Park and Reserve are also... |
Robert Dickson |
| Kwanlin Dün First Nation Kwanlin Dün First Nation The Kwanlin Dün First Nation is located in and around Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory of Canada. It is the largest First Nation in the Yukon. Linguistically, the Kwanlin Dün are affiliated with the Southern Tutchone Tribal Council. The Kwanlin Dün include people of Southern Tutchone, Tagish and... |
Whitehorse Whitehorse, Yukon Whitehorse is Yukon's capital and largest city . It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1476 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which originates in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in... |
Rick O'Brian |
| Liard River First Nation Liard River First Nation The Liard River First Nation, also known s the Liard First Nation is a First Nation in the southeastern Yukon Territory in Canada. Its main centres are Upper Liard, Yukon and Watson Lake, Yukon along the Alaska Highway... |
Watson Lake Watson Lake, Yukon Watson Lake is a town at historical mile 635 on the Alaska Highway in the southeastern Yukon close to the British Columbia border. Population in December 2004 was 1,547 .... |
Liard McMillan |
| Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation The Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation is a First Nation in the central Yukon Territory in Canada. Its original population centre was Little Salmon, Yukon, but most of its citizens live in Carmacks, Yukon... |
Carmacks Carmacks, Yukon -History:The community consists of the Village of Carmacks and the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation and was named after George Washington Carmack, who found coal near Tantalus Butte in 1893. Carmack built a trading post and traded with locals near the present site of Carmacks and also started a... |
Eddie Skookum |
| Ross River Dena Council Ross River Dena Council The Ross River Dena Council is a First Nation in the eastern Yukon Territory in Canada. Its main centre is in Ross River, Yukon at the junction of the Campbell Highway and the Canol Road, near the confluence of the Pelly River and the Ross River... |
Ross River Ross River, Yukon Ross River is an unincorporated community in the Yukon, Canada. It lies at the juncture of the Ross River and the Pelly River, along the Canol Road, not far from the Campbell Highway. Primary access to the Campbell Highway is a nine-mile access road of superior alignment, not the six-mile Canol... |
Jack Caesar |
| Selkirk First Nation Selkirk First Nation The Selkirk First Nation is a First Nation in the central Yukon Territory in Canada. Its original population centre was the trading post of Selkirk, Yukon along the Yukon River, but most of its citizens now live in Pelly Crossing, Yukon where the Klondike Highway crosses the Pelly River. The... |
Pelly Crossing Pelly Crossing, Yukon Pelly Crossing is community in the Yukon, Canada. It lies where the Klondike Highway crosses the Pelly River. Population in 2008 was 291.It is the home of the Selkirk First Nation, and home to the Northern Tutchone culture. Cultural displays and artifacts are housed in a replica of Big Jonathan House... |
Darren Isaac |
| Ta'an Kwach'an Council Ta'an Kwach'an Council The Ta'an Kwach'an Council is a First Nation in Whitehorse and Lake Laberge area in Canada's Yukon Territory. It split from the Whitehorse Indian Band to negotiate a separate land claim. The language originally spoken by the Ta'an people was Southern Tutchone.... |
Whitehorse | Ruth Massie |
| Teslin Tlingit Council Teslin Tlingit Council The Teslin Tlingit Council is a First Nation government in the central Yukon in Canada, located in Teslin, Yukon along the Alaska Highway and Teslin Lake. The language originally spoken by the Teslin is Tlingit... |
Teslin Teslin, Yukon The community of Teslin includes the Village of Teslin and an adjacent Indian Reserve in the Yukon, Canada. Teslin is situated at historical Mile 804 on the Alaska Highway along Teslin Lake. The Hudson's Bay Company established a small trading post at Teslin in 1903... |
Peter Johnston |
| Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in is a First Nations located in the central Yukon, Canada. Its main population centre is Dawson City, Yukon.Many of today’s Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, or people of the river, are descendants of the Hän-speaking people who have lived along the Yukon River for thousands of years... |
Dawson City Dawson City, Yukon The Town of the City of Dawson or Dawson City is a town in the Yukon, Canada.The population was 1,327 at the 2006 census. The area draws some 60,000 visitors each year... |
Eddie Taylor |
| Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation is a First Nation in the northern Yukon Territory in Canada. Its main population centre is Old Crow, Yukon. As the name indicates, the language originally spoken by the people is Gwichʼin language.... |
Old Crow Old Crow, Yukon -Population data:-External links:******, a National Film Board of Canada documentary... |
Joe Linklater |
| White River First Nation White River First Nation The White River First Nation is a First Nation in the western Yukon Territory in Canada. Its main population centre is Beaver Creek, Yukon... |
Beaver Creek Beaver Creek, Yukon - External links :* *... |
David Johnny |
The territory once had an Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
settlement, located on Herschel Island
Herschel Island
Herschel Island is an island in the Beaufort Sea , which lies off the coast of the Yukon Territories in Canada, of which it is administratively a part...
off the Arctic
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
coast. This settlement was dismantled in 1987 and its inhabitants relocated to the neighbouring Northwest Territories. As a result of the Inuvialuit
Inuvialuit
The Inuvialuit or Western Canadian Inuit are Inuit people who live in the western Canadian Arctic region. They, like all other Inuit, are descendants of the Thule who migrated eastward from Alaska...
Final Agreement, the island is now a territorial park and is known officially as Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park, Qikiqtaruk being the name of the island in Inuvialuktun
Inuvialuktun
Inuvialuktun, or Western Canadian Inuit language, Western Canadian Inuktitut, Western Canadian Inuktun comprises three Inuit dialects spoken in the northern Northwest Territories by those Canadian Inuit who call themselves Inuvialuk .Inuvialuktun is spoken by the Inuit of the Mackenzie River delta...
. There are also 14 First Nations that speak eight different languages.
Communities
Ten largest communities by population| Community | 2006 Population | 2001 Population | 1996 Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitehorse Whitehorse, Yukon Whitehorse is Yukon's capital and largest city . It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1476 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which originates in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in... |
20,461 (city) 22,898 (metro) |
19,058 (city) 21,405 (metro) |
19,157 (city) 21,808 (metro) |
| Dawson Dawson City, Yukon The Town of the City of Dawson or Dawson City is a town in the Yukon, Canada.The population was 1,327 at the 2006 census. The area draws some 60,000 visitors each year... |
1,327 | 1,251 | 1,287 |
| Watson Lake Watson Lake, Yukon Watson Lake is a town at historical mile 635 on the Alaska Highway in the southeastern Yukon close to the British Columbia border. Population in December 2004 was 1,547 .... |
846 | 912 | 993 |
| Haines Junction Haines Junction, Yukon Haines Junction is a village in the Yukon, Canada. It is located at Kilometre 1,632 of the Alaska Highway at its junction with the Haines Highway, hence the name of the community. According to the 2006 Census the population was 589. It is next to Kluane National Park and Reserve... |
589 | 531 | 574 |
| Carmacks Carmacks, Yukon -History:The community consists of the Village of Carmacks and the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation and was named after George Washington Carmack, who found coal near Tantalus Butte in 1893. Carmack built a trading post and traded with locals near the present site of Carmacks and also started a... |
425 | 431 | 466 |
| Ibex Valley Ibex Valley, Yukon Ibex Valley is an incorporated hamlet in Canada's Yukon. Population in 2001 according to the Canada 2001 Census was 315.Ibex Valley comprises residential areas along the Alaska Highway immediately outside the Whitehorse city limits as far as approximately historical mile 945, as well as a small... 1 |
376 | 315 | 322 |
| Mount Lorne Mount Lorne, Yukon Mount Lorne is an unincorporated hamlet in Canada's Yukon. Population in 2001 according to the Census was 379. It is located just south of Whitehorse, comprising rural residential areas along the South Klondike Highway, the Annie Lake Road and connecting sideroads. It is part of the Whitehorse... 1 |
370 | 379 | 399 |
| Ross River Ross River, Yukon Ross River is an unincorporated community in the Yukon, Canada. It lies at the juncture of the Ross River and the Pelly River, along the Canol Road, not far from the Campbell Highway. Primary access to the Campbell Highway is a nine-mile access road of superior alignment, not the six-mile Canol... |
313 | 337 | 352 |
| Pelly Crossing Pelly Crossing, Yukon Pelly Crossing is community in the Yukon, Canada. It lies where the Klondike Highway crosses the Pelly River. Population in 2008 was 291.It is the home of the Selkirk First Nation, and home to the Northern Tutchone culture. Cultural displays and artifacts are housed in a replica of Big Jonathan House... |
296 | 328 | 238 |
| Mayo Mayo, Yukon Mayo is a village in the Yukon, Canada, along the Silver Trail and the Stewart River. The population was 248 in 2006. It is also the home of the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, whose primary language is Northern Tutchone. Nacho Nyak Dun translates into "big river people". It is serviced by Mayo... |
248 | 366 | 324 |
1 Part of "Metro" Whitehorse Census Agglomeration
See also
- History of the west coast of North AmericaHistory of the west coast of North AmericaThe human history of the west coast of North America is believed to stretch back to the arrival of the earliest people over the Bering Strait, or alternately along a now-submerged coastal plain, through the development of significant pre-Columbian cultures and population densities, to the arrival...
- Prefecture Apostolic of YukonPrefecture Apostolic of YukonThe Apostolic Prefecture of Yukon or Prefecture Apostolic of the Yukon-Prince Rupert, was a Catholic missionary jurisdiction in the extreme northwestern portion of Canada from 1908 until 1916, then a Vicariate Apostolic until 1967.- History :...
- Scouting in YukonScouting in YukonScouting in Yukon dates back to the 1940s, serving thousands of young men and women.-Scouting in Yukon:Yukon is administratively connected to British Columbia in the BC/Yukon Council of Scouts Canada....
- Yukon CollegeYukon CollegeYukon College is a community college in the Canadian territory of Yukon. Its main campus is in Whitehorse, Yukon. The college was founded in 1983, replacing the Yukon Vocational and Technical Training Centre, which had been in operation since the 1960s...
- Yukon Energy CorporationYukon Energy CorporationYukon Energy Corporation is a Canadian Crown corporation in the Yukon.YEC is a subsidiary of Yukon Development Corporation and was established in 1987 to take over the Yukon assets of the Northern Canada Power Commission. YEC generates virtually all of the Yukon's electricity supply, and...
- Yukon Field ForceYukon Field ForceThe Yukon Field Force was a unit of 203 officers and men from the Permanent Force of the Canadian Militia in formation from 1898 to 1900. The men of the unit comprised infantry, artillery, and cavalry and were based at Fort Selkirk with a detachment at Dawson City to support the Canadian government...
- Yukon Members of ParliamentYukon (electoral district)Yukon is the only federal electoral district in Yukon Territory, Canada. It has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1902 to 1949 and since 1953....
- Yukon QuestYukon QuestThe Yukon Quest 1,000-mile International Sled Dog Race, or simply Yukon Quest, is a sled dog race run every February between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Whitehorse, Yukon...
Lists:
- List of communities in Yukon
- List of premiers of Yukon
- List of Yukon commissioners
- List of Yukon general elections
- List of Yukoners
External links
- Yukon Government
- The 1898 Yukon Act
- The 2002 Yukon Act
- Yukon Attraction & Service Guides
- General Information Site
- Historic Air Force Building
- Yukon Romance: Virtual Exhibit
- Tall Tales and True Stories of the Yukon
- Immigration Yukon
- Yukon Convention Bureau
- University of Washington Libraries: Digital Collections:
- CBC Digital Archives - Territorial Battles: Yukon Elections, 1978-2002
- CBC Digital Archives - The Berger Pipeline Inquiry
- An article on the Yukon Territory from The Canadian Encyclopedia
- Dempster Highway & Yukon roadtrip article on the Economist's More Intelligent Life website