Editing Northern Canada

{{short description|Region of Canada}}
{{distinguish|Upper Canada}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Northern Canada
| native_name              = {{native name|fr|Nord canadien}}
| native_name_lang         = 
| settlement_type          = 
| image_map                = Northern territories in Canada.svg
| map_caption              = Northern Canada, defined politically to comprise (from west to east) [[Yukon]], [[Northwest Territories]] and [[Nunavut]].
| image_skyline            = Whitehorse Yukon.JPG
| image_alt                = 
| image_caption            = Downtown [[Whitehorse]], [[Yukon]] (the territories’ largest city) seen from the east side of the [[Yukon River]]
| etymology                = 
| nickname                 = 
| coordinates              = <!-- {{Coord}} -->
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_name         = Canada
| subdivision_type1        = [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Territories]]
| subdivision_name1        = {{Unbulleted list| [[Northwest Territories]] | [[Nunavut]] | [[Yukon]] }}
| subdivision_type2        = Largest city
| subdivision_name2        = [[Whitehorse]]
| website                  = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
| area_footnotes           = <ref name=StatCan2016>{{cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/pd-pl/Table.cfm?Lang=Eng&T=101&S=50&O=A|title=Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data|publisher=Statistics Canada|date=2017-02-08|access-date=2017-02-08}}</ref>
| area_total_km2           = 3535263
| population_total         = 118,160
| population_as_of         = 2021
| population_est           = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| population_density_km2   = auto
| official_name            = 
| pop_est_footnotes        = <ref name=StatCan2016Q1Est>{{cite web | url=http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=0510005&paSer=&pattern=&stByVal=1&p1=1&p2=31&tabMode=dataTable&csid= | title=Population by year of Canada of Canada and territories | publisher=[[Statistics Canada]] | date=September 26, 2014 | access-date=September 29, 2018}}</ref>
}}
'''Northern Canada''' ({{langx|fr|Nord canadien}}), colloquially '''the North''' or '''the Territories''', is the vast northernmost region of [[Canada]], variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three [[Provinces_and_territories_of_Canada#Territories|territories of Canada]]: [[Yukon]], [[Northwest Territories]] and [[Nunavut]]. This area covers about 48 per cent of Canada's total land area, but has less than 0.5 per cent of [[demographics of Canada|Canada's population]].

The terms "northern Canada" or "the North" may be used in contrast with ''the far north'', which may refer to the Canadian [[Arctic]], the portion of Canada that lies north of the [[Arctic Circle]], east of [[Alaska]] and west of [[Greenland]]. However, in many other uses the two areas are treated as a single unit.

==Capitals==
The capital cities of the three northern territories, from west to east, are:
* [[Yukon]] - [[Whitehorse]]
* [[Northwest Territories]] - [[Yellowknife]]
* [[Nunavut]] - [[Iqaluit]]

==Definitions==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Climate
! Political
! Habitat
! Northern development
|-
| [[File:Arctic.svg|center|250px]]
| [[File:Northern Canada.svg|center|250px]]
| [[File:Major habitat type CAN.svg|center|250px]]
| [[File:Canada North South Regions StatCan.png|center|250px]]
|-
| Parts of Northern Canada within the red line are considered to be a part of the Arctic Region according to the average temperature of their warmest month.
| Political definition of Northern Canada – the "territories" of Canada generally north of the [[60th parallel north|60th parallel]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=McCullough  |first1=J.J. |author-link=J.J. McCullough | url=https://thecanadaguide.com/places/the-north/ | title=Places: The North | publisher=The Canada Guide | accessdate=April 6, 2021}}</ref>
| [[Barren Grounds]] and [[tundra]] are shown in light blue, and the [[boreal forest of Canada|taiga and boreal forest]] in dark blue.
| The three territories and northern portions of seven provinces are defined as northern Canada for northern development purposes by the [[Conference Board of Canada]]'s Centre for the North, the Northern Development Ministers Forum, and [[Statistics Canada]].<ref name=CBOC>{{cite web | url=https://www.conferenceboard.ca/temp/b597edd9-e7fb-4b5d-879a-4f19b38ff4ba/6973_CFN_5-Year_RPT.pdf | title=Building a Resilient and Prosperous North | publisher=The [[Conference Board of Canada]]: Centre for the North | date=April 2015 | accessdate=August 15, 2021}}</ref>
|}

=== Subdivisions ===
As a social rather than political region, the Canadian North is often subdivided into two distinct regions based on climate, the ''near north'' and the ''far north''. The different climates of these two regions result in vastly different vegetation, and therefore very different economies, settlement patterns and histories.

====Near north====
[[File:Taiga in Yellowknife, NT.jpg|thumb|Outside [[Yellowknife]], [[Northwest Territories]]]]
[[File:Sheep Slot Rapids, Firth River, Ivvavik National Park, YT.jpg|thumb|left| Sheep Slot Rapids on the [[Firth River]] in [[Yukon]]'s [[Ivvavik National Park]]]]

The "near north" or [[sub-Arctic]] is mostly synonymous with the [[boreal forest of Canada|Canadian boreal forest]], a large area of [[evergreen]]-dominated forests with a [[subarctic climate]]. This area has traditionally been home to the [[Indigenous peoples of the Subarctic]], that is the [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]], who were [[hunter-gatherer|hunters]] of [[moose]], freshwater [[fisherman|fishers]] and [[Trapping|trappers]]. This region was heavily involved in the [[North American fur trade]] during its peak importance, and is home to many [[Métis people in Canada|Métis people]] who originated in that trade. The area was mostly part of [[Rupert's Land]] under the nominal control of the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] (HBC) from 1670 to 1869, who regarded Rupert's Land as their proprietary colony.

In 1670, [[King Charles II of England]] in his grant creating the proprietary colony Rupert's Land defined its frontiers as all the lands adjudging [[Hudson Strait]], [[Hudson Bay]] or rivers flowing into Hudson Bay, in theory giving control of much of what is now Canada to the HBC.<ref>Newman, Peter ''Empire of the Bay'', London: Penguin, 1989 p.78-79.</ref> Under the royal charter of 2 May 1670, the HBC received the theoretical control of {{convert|1.5|e6sqmi|abbr=off}} making up 40% of what is now Canada.<ref>Dolin, Eric Jay ''Fur, Fortune, and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America'', New York: W.W. Norton, 2011 p.102</ref> Despite its claim that Rupert's Land was a proprietary colony, the HBC controlled only the areas around its forts ([[trading post|trading posts]]) on the shores of [[James Bay]] and Hudson Bay, and never sought to impose political control on the First Nations peoples, whose co-operation was needed for the fur trade. For its first century, the HBC never ventured inland, being content to have the First Nations peoples come to its forts to trade fur for European goods.<ref>Newman, Peter ''Empire of the Bay'', London: Penguin, 1989 p.167-168.</ref> The HBC started to move inland only in the late 18th century to assert its claim to Rupert's Land in response to rival fur traders coming out of [[Montreal]] who were hurting profits by going directly to the First Nations.<ref>Newman, Peter ''Empire of the Bay'', London: Penguin, 1989 p.252.</ref>

The HBC's claim to Rupert's Land, which, as the company was the de facto administrator, included the [[North-Western Territory]], was purchased by the Canadian government in 1869.<ref>Newman, Peter ''Empire of the Bay'', London: Penguin, 1989 p.575-576.</ref> After buying Rupert's Land, Canada renamed the area it had purchased the [[Northwest Territories]]. Shortly thereafter the government made a [[Numbered Treaties|series of treaties with the local First Nations]] regarding land title. This opened the region to non-Native settlement, as well as to forestry, mining, and oil and gas drilling. In 1896, gold was discovered in the Yukon, leading to the [[Klondike Gold Rush]] in 1896-1899, and the first substantial white settlements were made in the near north. To deal with the increased settlement in the [[Klondike, Yukon|Klondike]], the Yukon Territory was created in 1898.

Today several million people live in the near north, around 15% of the Canadian total. Large parts of the near north are not part of Canada's territories, but rather are the northern parts of the provinces of Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, meaning they have very different political histories as minority regions within larger units. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Canada reduced the size of the Northwest Territory by carving new provinces out of it such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, together with the new territory of the Yukon, while transferring other parts of the Northwest Territory to Ontario and Quebec.

====Far north====

[[File:Nunavut tundra -c.jpg|thumb|left|A typical [[tundra]] landscape in [[Nunavut]].]]

The "far north" is synonymous with the areas north of the [[tree line]]: the [[Barren Grounds]] and [[tundra]]. This area is home to the various sub-groups of the [[Inuit]], a people unrelated to other [[Indigenous peoples in Canada]]. These are people who have traditionally relied mostly on hunting [[marine mammal]]s and [[Reindeer|caribou]], mainly [[barren-ground caribou]], as well as fish and migratory birds. The Inuit lived in groups that pursued a [[hunter-gatherer]] lifestyle, with a basic governmental system in which power was exercised by the local headman, a person acknowledged to be the best hunter,<ref>[https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3012&context=jclc Law-Ways of the Primitive Eskimos], page 667</ref> and the [[angakkuq]], sometimes called shamans.<ref>Matthiasson, John S. ''Living on the Land Change Among the Inuit of Baffin Island'' Toronto: University of Toronto Press p.118-119</ref> This area was somewhat involved in the [[fur trade]], but was more influenced by the [[history of whaling|whaling industry]].<ref name="Matthiasson27">Matthiasson, John S. ''Living on the Land Change Among the Inuit of Baffin Island'' Toronto: University of Toronto Press p.27</ref> Britain maintained a claim to the far north as part of the [[British Arctic Territories]], and in 1880 transferred its claim to Canada, who incorporated the far north into the Northwest Territories.<ref name="Matthiasson27"/>

The Inuit were not aware of the existence of the British Arctic territory claim nor were they aware for some time afterwards that under international law their territories had just been included in Canada.<ref>Matthiasson, John S. ''Living on the Land Change Among the Inuit of Baffin Island'' Toronto: University of Toronto Press p.27-28</ref> It was not until 1920, when detachments of the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] (RCMP) started being sent into the far north to enforce Canadian law, that Canadian sovereignty over the region became effective.<ref>Matthiasson, John S. ''Living on the Land Change Among the Inuit of Baffin Island'' Toronto: University of Toronto Press p.41-42</ref> This area was not part of the early 20th century treaty process, and [[aboriginal title]] to the land has been acknowledged by the Canadian government with the creation of [[Autonomous administrative division|autonomous territories]] instead of the [[Indian reserve]]s of further south.

In [[1982 Northwest Territories division plebiscite|1982 a referendum]] was held to decide on splitting the Northwest Territories. This was followed by the [[1992 Nunavut creation referendum]], with the majority of the people in the far north voting to leave the Northwest Territories, leading to creation of the new territory of Nunavut in 1999. Very few non-Indigenous  people have settled in these areas, and the residents of the far north represent less than 1% of Canada's total population.

The far north is also often broken into western and eastern parts and sometimes a central part. The eastern Arctic includes the self-governing territory of Nunavut (much of which is in the true Arctic, being north of the [[Arctic Circle]]), sometimes excluding [[Cambridge Bay]] and [[Kugluktuk]]; [[Nunavik]], an autonomous part of the province of Quebec; [[Nunatsiavut]], an autonomous part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador; and perhaps a few parts of the [[Hudson Bay]] coast of Ontario and Manitoba. The western Arctic is the northernmost portion of the Northwest Territories (roughly [[Inuvik Region]]) and a small part of Yukon, together called the [[Inuvialuit Settlement Region]], and sometimes includes Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk. The central Arctic covers the pre-division [[Kitikmeot Region, Northwest Territories]].
{| class="sortable wikitable"
! class="unsortable" style="line-height:95%; width:2em" |Flag
! class="unsortable" style="line-height:95%; width:2em" |Arms
!Territory
!Capital
!Area
!Population ([[2021 Canadian census|2021]])<ref name="census2016">{{cite web|title=Population and Dwelling Count Highlight Tables, 2021 Census – Canada, provinces and territories|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000101|work=[[Canada 2021 Census|2021 Census]]| date=9 February 2022 |publisher=Statistics Canada}}</ref>
!Population density
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |{{flagicon|Northwest Territories|size=100px}}
| style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Coat of arms of Northwest Territories.svg|50px]]
|[[Northwest Territories]]
|[[Yellowknife]]
| style="text-align:right;" |{{convert|1,346,106|km2|abbr=on}}
| style="text-align:right;" |41,070
| style="text-align:right;" |{{convert|0.031|/km2|abbr=on}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |{{flagicon|Yukon|size=100px}}
| style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Coat of arms of Yukon.svg|50px]]
|[[Yukon]]
|[[Whitehorse, Yukon|Whitehorse]]
| style="text-align:right;" |{{convert|482,443|km2|abbr=on}}
| style="text-align:right;" |40,232

| style="text-align:right;" |{{convert|0.083|/km2|abbr=on}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |{{flagicon|Nunavut|size=100px}}
| style="text-align:center;" |[[File:Coat of arms of Nunavut.svg|50px]]

|[[Nunavut]]

|[[Iqaluit]]
| style="text-align:right;" |{{convert|2,038,722|km2|abbr=on}}
| style="text-align:right;" |36,858

| style="text-align:right;" |{{convert|0.018|/km2|abbr=on}}

|}

===Territoriality===
Since 1925, Canada has claimed the portion of the Arctic between [[60th meridian west|60°W]] and [[141st meridian west|141°W]] longitude, extending all the way north to the [[North Pole]]: All islands in the [[Arctic Archipelago]] and [[Herschel Island|Herschel]], off the Yukon coast, form part of the region and are Canadian territory, and the [[territorial waters]] claimed by Canada surround these islands.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps/historical/territorialevolution/1927/1| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509193315/http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/historical/territorialevolution/1927/1 |archive-date=May 9, 2012 |title=Territorial Evolution, 1927 |date=March 18, 2009}}</ref> Views of territorial claims in this region are complicated by disagreements on legal principles. Canada and the [[Soviet Union]]/[[Russia]] have long claimed that their territory extends according to the [[sector principle]] to the North Pole. The United States does not accept the sector principle and does not make a sector claim based on its [[Alaska]]n Arctic coast. Claims that undersea geographic features are extensions of a country's [[continental shelf]] are also used to support claims; for example the Denmark/[[Greenland]] claim on territory to the North Pole, some of which is disputed by Canada.

Foreign ships, both civilian and military, are allowed the right of [[innocent passage]] through the territorial waters of a [[Littoral zone|littoral]] state subject to conditions in the [[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globelaw.com/LawSea/ls82_1.htm|title=GlobeLaw.com|website=www.globelaw.com}}</ref> The right of innocent passage is not allowed, however, in [[internal waters]], which are enclosed bodies of water or waters landward of a chain of islands. Disagreements about the sector principle or extension of territory to the North Pole and about the definition of internal waters in the Arctic lie behind differences in [[territorial claims in the Arctic]]. This claim is recognized by most countries with some exceptions, including the United States; Denmark, Russia, and Norway have made claims similar to those of Canada in the Arctic and are opposed by the European Union and the United States. This is especially important with the [[Northwest Passage]], which Canada asserts control of as part of [[Canadian Internal Waters]] because it is within {{convert|20|km|abbr=on}} of Canadian islands; however, the United States claims that it is in [[international waters]]. As of 2023, ice and freezing temperatures have always made this a minor issue, but [[climate change]] may make the passage more accessible to shipping. Furthermore, the thawing of the polar ice cap increases the mutual proximity of Canada and Russia as a result of the historically unusable Arctic Ocean becoming increasingly navigable.<ref>Paikin, Zach. "[http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/Canada-The-Arctic-Middle-Man-2014-08-21 Canada: The Arctic Middle Man]" ''Maritime Executive'', 21 August 2014. Accessed: 11 September 2014.</ref>

==Demographics==
[[File:Iqaluit-aerial.jpg|thumb|left|[[Iqaluit]] is the capital, the only city and largest population centre in Nunavut]]
[[File:Downtown Yellowknife 2.jpg|thumb|Skyline of [[Yellowknife]], Northwest Territories]]

Using the political definition of the three northern territories, the north, with an area of {{convert|3921739|km2|abbr=on}}, makes up 39.3% of Canada.<ref>{{cite web |date=1 February 2005 |url=http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/phys01-eng.htm |title=Land and freshwater area, by province and territory | publisher=Statistics Canada |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524063547/http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/phys01-eng.htm |archive-date=2011-05-24 |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref>

Although vast, the entire region is very sparsely populated. As of 2021, only about 118,160 people lived there, compared with 36,991,981 in the rest of Canada.<ref name="census2016"/>

The [[population density]] for Northern Canada is {{convert|0.03|PD/sqkm|abbr=on}} ({{convert|0.08|/sqkm|abbr=on}} for Yukon, {{convert|0.03|/sqkm|abbr=on}} for the NWT and {{convert|0.02|/sqkm|abbr=on}} for Nunavut), compared with {{convert|4.2|/sqkm|abbr=on}} for Canada.<ref name="census2016" />

The region is heavily endowed with natural resources, but in most cases they are very expensive to extract and situated in fragile environmental areas. Though GDP per person is higher than elsewhere in Canada, the region remains relatively poor, mostly because of the extremely high cost of most consumer goods, and the region is heavily subsidised by the [[government of Canada]].

As of 2016, 53.3% of the population of the three territories (23.3% in Yukon,<ref name="pop">{{cite news|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/abo-aut/Table.cfm?Lang=Eng&T=101&S=99&O=A |title=Aboriginal Peoples Highlight Tables, 2016 Census|publisher=Statistics Canada|agency=Government of Canada|date=27 August 2020}}</ref> 50.7% in the NWT<ref name="pop"/> and 85.9% in Nunavut<ref name="pop"/>) is Indigenous, [[Inuit]], [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] or [[Métis]]. The Inuit are the largest group of [[Indigenous peoples in Northern Canada]], and 53.0% of all Canada's Inuit live in Northern Canada, with Nunavut accounting for 46.4%.<ref name="pop"/> The region also contains several groups of First Nations, who are mainly [[Dene]], with the [[Chipewyan]] making up the largest sub-group. The three territories each have a greater proportion of Aboriginal inhabitants than any of Canada's provinces. There are also many more recent{{when|date=June 2019}} immigrants from around the world; of the territories, Yukon has the largest percentage of non-Aboriginal inhabitants, while Nunavut the smallest.<ref name="pop"/>

{{As of|2021}}, the largest settlement in Northern Canada is [[Whitehorse, Yukon|Whitehorse]], the capital of Yukon, with 28,201 inhabitants.<ref name="2016censusYKmunis">{{cite web|date=February 9, 2022|title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Yukon and Yukon [Territory]|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000202&geocode=A000260|website=www12.statcan.gc.ca|publisher=Statistics Canada}}</ref> Second is [[Yellowknife]], the capital of the Northwest Territories, which contains 20,340 inhabitants.<ref name="StatCan">{{cite web|date=9 February 2022|title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Northwest Territories|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000202&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.5386|website=www12.statcan.gc.ca|publisher=Statistics Canada}}</ref> Third is [[Iqaluit]], the capital of Nunavut, with 7,429.<ref>{{cite web|date=9 February 2022|title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Nunavut|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000202&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.5434|website=www12.statcan.gc.ca|publisher=Statistics Canada}}</ref>

{{Largest cities
| nonav = y
| country      = Northern Canada
| stat_ref     = [[Statistics Canada]] 2021
| div_name     = Provinces and territories of Canada
| div_link     = Provinces and territories of Canada{{!}}Territory

| city_1 = Whitehorse | div_1 = Yukon | pop_1 = 28,201 | img_1 = Sunset,_in_Whitehorse,_Yukon_2013.jpg
| city_2 = Yellowknife| div_2 = Northwest Territories | pop_2 = 20,340 | img_2 = Downtown_Yellowknife_2_second_version.jpg
| city_3 = Iqaluit | div_3 = Nunavut | pop_3 = 7,429| img_3 = Iqaluit from Joamie Hill.JPG
| city_4 = Hay River, Northwest Territories{{!}}Hay River | div_4 = Northwest Territories | pop_4 = 3,169 | img_4 = The_High_Rise_in_Hay_River_02.jpg
| city_5 = Inuvik | div_5 = Northwest Territories | pop_5 = 3,137
| city_6 = Rankin Inlet | div_6 = Nunavut | pop_6 = 2,975
| city_7 = Arviat | div_7 = Nunavut | pop_7 = 2,864
| city_8 = Fort Smith, Northwest Territories{{!}} Fort Smith| div_8 = Northwest Territories | pop_8 = 2,248
| city_9 = Baker Lake, Nunavut{{!}} Baker Lake  | div_9 = Nunavut| pop_9 = 2,061
| city_10 = Igloolik| div_10 = Nunavut | pop_10 = 2,049
| city_11 = Cambridge Bay | div_11 = Nunavut | pop_11 = 1,760
| city_12 = Behchokǫ̀| div_12 = Northwest Territories | pop_12 = 1,746
| city_13 = Dawson City | div_13 = Yukon | pop_13 = 1,577
| city_14=Pond Inlet| div_14 = Nunavut | pop_14 = 1,555
| city_15 = Pangnirtung | div_15 = Nunavut | pop_15 = 1,504
| city_16 = Cape Dorset | div_16 = Nunavut| pop_16 = 1,396
| city_17 = Kugluktuk | div_17 = Nunavut| pop_17 = 1,382
| city_18 = Gjoa Haven | div_18 = Nunavut | pop_18 = 1,349
| city_19 = Naujaat | div_19 = Nunavut | pop_19 = 1,225
| city_20 = Clyde_River,_Nunavut{{!}} Clyde River | div_20 = Nunavut | pop_20 = 1,181
}}

===Recent===
Although it has not been on the same scale, some towns and cities have experienced population increases not seen for several decades before. [[Yellowknife]] has become the centre of [[diamond]] production for Canada (which has become one of the top three countries for diamonds).

In the [[2006 Canadian Census]], the three territories posted a combined population of over 100,000 for the first time in Canadian history.<ref name="11census">{{cite web|last=Government of Canada|first=Statistics Canada|title=Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, 2011 and 2006 censuses|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/hlt-fst/pd-pl/Table-Tableau.cfm?LANG=Eng&T=101&S=50&O=A|website=www12.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref>

==Topography (geography)==
[[File:Spring in the Canadian Arctic.jpg|thumb|The western Canadian Arctic in early June 2010.]]

While the largest part of the Arctic is composed of [[sea ice|permanent ice]] and the [[Canadian Arctic tundra]] north of the [[tree line]], it encompasses geological regions of varying types: The [[Innuitian Mountains]], associated with the [[Arctic Cordillera]] mountain system, are geologically distinct from the Arctic Region (which consists largely of [[Upland and lowland|lowlands]]). The [[Arctic Lowlands|Arctic]] and [[Hudson Bay Lowlands]] comprise a substantial part of the geographic region often considered part of the [[Canadian Shield]] (in contrast to the sole geological area). The ground in the Arctic is mostly composed of [[permafrost]], making construction difficult and often hazardous, and agriculture virtually impossible.

The Arctic [[drainage basin|watershed (or drainage basin)]] drains northern parts of Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia, most of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and parts of Yukon into the [[Arctic Ocean]], including the [[Beaufort Sea]] and [[Baffin Bay]]. With the exception of the [[Mackenzie River]], Canada's longest river, this watershed has been little used for [[hydroelectricity]]. The [[Peace River|Peace]] and [[Athabasca River|Athabasca]] rivers, along with [[Great Bear Lake|Great Bear]] and [[Great Slave Lake]] (respectively the largest and second [[List of lakes by area|largest lakes]] wholly enclosed within Canada), are significant elements of the Arctic watershed. Each of these elements eventually merges with the Mackenzie so that it thereby drains the vast majority of the Arctic watershed.

===Climate===

====Overview====
Under the [[Köppen climate classification]], much of mainland Northern Canada has a [[subarctic climate]], with a [[tundra climate]] in most of the [[Arctic Archipelago]] and on the northern coasts, and an [[ice cap climate]] in some parts of the [[Arctic Cordillera]].<ref name=Peel>{{cite journal | author=Peel, M. C. |author2=Finlayson, B. L. |author3=McMahon, T. A. | year=2007 | title= Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification | journal=Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. | volume=11 | issue=5 | pages=1633–1644 |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P | url=http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf | issn = 1027-5606| doi-access=free }}</ref>{{sfn|Canada Year Book|1967|p=57}} For more than half of the year, much of Northern Canada is snow- and ice-covered, with some limited moderation by the relatively warmer waters in coastal areas, with temperatures generally remaining below the freezing mark from October to May.{{sfn|Canada Year Book|1967|p=57}} During the coldest three months, mean monthly temperatures range from {{convert|-20|F|order=flip}} in the southern sections to {{convert|-30|F|order=flip}} in the northern sections, although temperatures can go down to {{convert|-55|to|-60|F|order=flip}}.{{sfn|Canada Year Book|1967|p=57}} Owing to the dry cold air prevalent throughout most of the region, snowfall is often light.{{sfn|Canada Year Book|1967|p=57}} During the short summers, much of Northern Canada is snow free, except for the Arctic Cordillera, which remains covered with snow and ice throughout the year.{{sfn|Canada Year Book|1967|p=57}} In the summer months, temperatures average below {{convert|45|F|order=flip}} but may occasionally exceed {{convert|65|F|order=flip}}.{{sfn|Canada Year Book|1967|p=57}} Most of the rainfall accumulated occurs in the summer months, ranging from {{convert|1|to|2|in|abbr=on|order=flip}} in the northernmost islands to {{convert|7|in|abbr=on|order=flip}} at the southern end of [[Baffin Island]].{{sfn|Canada Year Book|1967|p=57}}

Northern Canada's coastline has faced significant changes due to climate change. The annual precipitation as well as the ratio of snow to rain have increased since 1950. <ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mekis |first1=Éva |last2=Vincent |first2=Lucie A. |date=2011-06-01 |title=An Overview of the Second Generation Adjusted Daily Precipitation Dataset for Trend Analysis in Canada |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07055900.2011.583910 |journal=Atmosphere-Ocean |volume=49 |issue=2 |pages=163–177 |doi=10.1080/07055900.2011.583910 |bibcode=2011AtO....49..163M |issn=0705-5900}}</ref> Sea ice has decreased in the region, leading to higher summer surface air temperatures. In the Canadian Arctic Archipelago sea ice cover decreased by 2.9% per decade from 1968 to 2008, while in Hudson Bay this decreased by 11.3% per decade.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tivy |first1=Adrienne |last2=Howell |first2=Stephen E. L. |last3=Alt |first3=Bea |last4=McCourt |first4=Steve |last5=Chagnon |first5=Richard |last6=Crocker |first6=Greg |last7=Carrieres |first7=Tom |last8=Yackel |first8=John J. |date=2011 |title=Trends and variability in summer sea ice cover in the Canadian Arctic based on the Canadian Ice Service Digital Archive, 1960–2008 and 1968–2008 |url=https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2009JC005855 |journal=Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |language=en |volume=116 |issue=C3 |doi=10.1029/2009JC005855 |bibcode=2011JGRC..116.3007T |issn=2156-2202}}</ref> Storms in the Arctic have increased and become more intense.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AR5 Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis — IPCC |url=https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/ |access-date=2025-01-20}}</ref>

== Politics ==

=== Federal politics ===
The northern territories are represented in the [[Parliament of Canada]] by 3 [[Member of parliament|Members of Parliament]] (MPs) in the [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]] (1 from each territory) and 3 senators (1 from each territory). Currently, of the 3 northern MPs in the Commons, 2 are Liberals and the New Democrats hold 1.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
|+2021 Federal Election Results for Northern Canada
|-
! colspan="3"|Party name
! [[Yukon|YT]]
! [[Northwest Territories|NT]]
! [[Nunavut|NU]]
! Total
|-
|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|background}} rowspan="2" |&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
| style="text-align:left;"|Seats:
| 1
| 1
| &ndash;
| 2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|Vote:
| 33.4
| 38.2
| 35.9
| &ndash;
|-
|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative|background}} rowspan="2" |&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|[[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]
| style="text-align:left;"|Seats:
| &ndash;
| &ndash;
| &ndash;
| 0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|Vote:
| 26.3
| 14.4
| 16.5
| &ndash;
|-
|{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP|background}} rowspan="2" |&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|[[New Democratic Party (Canada)|New Democratic Party]]
| style="text-align:left;"|Seats:
| &ndash;
| &ndash;
| 1
| 1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|Vote:
| 22.4
| 32.3
| 47.7
| &ndash;
|-
|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Green|background}} rowspan="2" |&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|[[Green Party of Canada|Green]]
| style="text-align:left;"|Seats:
| &ndash;
| &ndash;
| &ndash;
| 0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|Vote:
| 4.4
| 2.3
| &ndash;
| &ndash;
|-
|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|background}} rowspan="2" |&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"|[[Independent (politician)|Independent and no affiliation]]
| style="text-align:left;"|Seats:
| &ndash;
| &ndash;
| &ndash;
| 0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|Vote:
| 13.6
| 12.7
| &ndash;
| &ndash;
|-
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3" |Total seats
| 1
| 1
| 1
| 3
|}

{| style="width100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;"
|+2021 Federal Election Seat Results for Northern Canada
|- style="color:white;"
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; width:66.67%;" | 2
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}; width:33.33%;" | 1
|-
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}|Liberal}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}|New Democratic}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent}}|}}
|}

{| style="width100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;"
|+2019 Federal Election Seat Results for Northern Canada
|- style="color:white;"
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; width:66.67%;" | 2
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}; width:33.33%;" | 1
|-
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}|Liberal}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}|New Democratic}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent}}|}}
|}

{| style="width100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;"
|+2015 Federal Election Seat Results for Northern Canada
|- style="color:white;"
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; width:100.00%;" | 3
|-
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}|Liberal}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent}}|}}
|}

{| style="width100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;"
|+2011 Federal Election Seat Results for Northern Canada
|- style="color:white;"
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}; width:66.67%;" | 2
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}; width:33.33%;" | 1
|-
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}|Conservative}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}|New Democratic}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent}}|}}
|}

{| style="width100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;"
|+2008 Federal Election Seat Results for Northern Canada
|- style="color:white;"
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; width:33.33%;" | 1
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}; width:33.33%;" | 1
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}; width:33.33%;" | 1
|-
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}|Liberal}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}|New Democratic}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}|Conservative}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent}}|}}
|}

{| style="width100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;"
|+2006 Federal Election Seat Results for Northern Canada
|- style="color:white;"
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; width:66.67%;" | 2
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}; width:33.33%;" | 1
|-
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}|Liberal}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}|New Democratic}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent}}|}}
|}

{| style="width100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;"
|+2004 Federal Election Seat Results for Northern Canada
|- style="color:white;"
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; width:100.00%;" | 3
|-
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}|Liberal}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent}}|}}
|}

{| style="width100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;"
|+2000 Federal Election Seat Results for Northern Canada
|- style="color:white;"
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; width:100.00%;" | 3
|-
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}|Liberal}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent}}|}}
|}

{| style="width100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;"
|+1997 Federal Election Seat Results for Northern Canada
|- style="color:white;"
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; width:66.67%;" | 2
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}; width:33.33%;" | 1
|-
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}|Liberal}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}|New Democratic}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent}}|}}
|}

{| style="width100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;"
|+1993 Federal Election Seat Results for Northern Canada
|- style="color:white;"
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; width:66.67%;" | 2
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}; width:33.33%;" | 1
|-
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}|Liberal}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}|New Democratic}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent}}|}}
|}

{| style="width100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;"
|+1988 Federal Election Seat Results for Northern Canada
|- style="color:white;"
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; width:66.67%;" | 2
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}; width:33.33%;" | 1
|-
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}|Liberal}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}|New Democratic}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent}}|}}
|}

{| style="width100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;"
|+1984 Federal Election Seat Results for Northern Canada
|- style="color:white;"
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|PC}}; width:100%;" | 3
|-
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|PC}}|Progressive Conservative}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent}}|}}
|}

{| style="width100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;"
|+1980 Federal Election Seat Results for Northern Canada
|- style="color:white;"
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|PC}}; width:66.67%;" | 2
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}; width:33.33%;" | 1

|-
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|PC}}|Progressive Conservative}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP}}|New Democratic}}
| {{color|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent}}|}}
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Geography|Canada}}
{{colbegin}}
*[[Arctic policy of Canada]]
*[[Geography of Canada]]
*[[Northern Alberta]]
*[[Northern Manitoba]]
*[[Northern Ontario]]
*[[Northern Quebec]]
*[[Northern United States]]
*[[Northern Saskatchewan]]
*[[North American Arctic]]
*[[Operation Hurricane (Canada)]]
{{colend}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* Honderich, John. ''Arctic Imperative: Is Canada Losing the North''? Toronto, Ont.: University of Toronto Press, 1987. xi, 258 p., ill. in b&w with charts, maps, and photos. {{ISBN|0-8020-5763-2}}
* Mowat, Farley. ''Canada North'', in series, ''The Canadian Illustrated Library''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1967. 127, [1] p., copiously ill. in b&w and col.
*{{cite book|title=Canada Year Book 1967|url=http://www66.statcan.gc.ca/eng/acyb_c1967-eng.aspx?opt=%2feng%2f1967%2f196700780052_Climate+and+Time+Zones.pdf|location=Ottawa, Canada|publisher=[[Statistics Canada]]|pages=57–63|year=1967|access-date=6 March 2015|ref={{sfnRef|Canada Year Book|1967}}}}
{{refend}}

==External links==

{{Commons category|Northern Canada}}

{{Wiktionary|Northern Canada}}

* {{Wikivoyage-inline}}
* [https://www.conferenceboard.ca/networks/cfn/default.aspx Conference Board of Canada: Centre for the North]
* [https://archives-manuscripts.dartmouth.edu/repositories/2/resources/2856 The Papers of Herbert R. Drury on Arctic Canada] at Dartmouth College Library
* [https://archives-manuscripts.dartmouth.edu/repositories/2/resources/1189 Gerard Gardner Scientific Observations Records in Arctic Canada and Labrador] at Dartmouth College Library

{{coord|65|49|12|N|107|04|48|W|region:CA_type:adm2nd_scale:10000000|display=title}}

{{Canada topics}}
{{Arctic topics}}
{{Regions of the world}}
{{Polar regions}}
{{Polar exploration|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Northern Canada| ]]
[[Category:Regions of Canada]]
[[Category:Regions of the Arctic]]