PRESENTS
Nunavut Territory
Quick Fact Sheet
Nunavut Territory Coat of Arms
Nunavut Territory Flag
| Capital City: | Iqaluit |
| Date Entered Confederation: | April 1, 1999 |
| Area: | 1,994,000 Sq Km |
| Population: | Click Here for Population Page |
| Motto: | Nunavut, Our Strength |
| Known As: | Our Land |
| Territory Flower: | Purple Saxifrage |
| Territory Bird: | Rock Ptarmigon |
| Territory Tree: | no official tree |
| Commissioner: | Hon. Edna Ekhivalak Elias |
| Premier: | Hon. Eva Aariak |
| Political Party: | consensus government |
| Main Products: | Iniut carvings are known and collected the world over, and provide a good income for some carvers. Because of the large isolated areas, long winters and severe climate, there is little or no industry or manufacturing, and no commercial agriculture. Copper, lead, silver, zinc, iron, and other metals are found, but extraction is difficult and expensive, so mining is limited. |
Nunavut is bordered by the Northwest Territory to the west, the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan to the south, and Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea to the east.
The Territory consists of that portion of Canada north of 60° N and east of the NT boundary and which is not within Quebec or Newfoundland. It includes and the islands of Hudson Bay, James Bay and Ungava Bay that are not within Manitoba, Ontario or Quebec.
Nunavut's three regions are called the Qikiqtaaluk (or Baffin) Region in eastern and northern Nunavut, the Kivalliq (or Keewatin) Region in the south and central portions of Nunavut near Hudson Bay, and the Kitikmeot Region in central and western Nunavut.
Nunavut contains the former Keewatin and Franklin districts of the Northwest Territory. It includes Baffin Island, and stretches almost to the North Pole. At nearly 2 million sq km, it comprises one-fifth of Canada's land mass.
Nunavut encompasses most of the Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, a crust of ancient rocks 500 million years old. The climate is harsh. Temperatures average -32C (-25F) in January and 5C (41F) in July, with less than 25 cm (less than 10 inches) of precipitation per year, mostly in the form of snow.
Nunavut does have tall mountains on Baffin and Ellesmere islands, but most of the territory is a flat tundra of lichen, flowers, and grasses. The most prevalent mammals are white fox, caribou, and seals. Many birds summer on the tundra, including Canada geese. Whitefish and Arctic char are the predominant fish species.
Much of Nunavut is uninhabited, although settlements stretch as far north as Ellesmere Island. Most Inuit live in fixed settlements along the coast of Hudson Bay and the Labrador Sea and depend on trapping and mining for their income. There are few roads, and most transportation is by snowmobile and airplane.
For additional Information on Nunavut Territory, visit our Special Nunavut Page
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