Quick facts about Canada's Northwest Territories

Location
Area
Time zone
Capital city
Population
Significant dates
Weather
Hours of daylight
The NWT's Official Symbols
Official Languages
Government

Location

Beginning at the 60th Parallel, the Northwest Territories stretch north from the BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan borders all the way to the Arctic Ocean and the High Arctic Islands. East to west, this giant land sweeps from the Nunavut boundary along the treeline to the Mackenzie Mountains and the Yukon border. Click here to view NWT maps.

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Area

1,171,918 sq km (780,500 sq mi). The NWT is the second largest Canadian Territory — approximately the size of Texas or Alaska.

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Time zone

Mountain Standard

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Capital city

Yellowknife

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Population

About 42,000 people, living in 33 communities. Over half are Aboriginal.

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Significant dates

1789 Alexander Mackenzie travels down Deh Cho, the big river named for him.
1823 The Dogribs and Yellowknives make peace.
1826 John Franklin and his men meet Inuvialuit in the Mackenzie Delta.
1870 Britain transfers Rupert's Land to the new Dominion of Canada.
1889 The first American whalers appear in the Beaufort Sea.
1906 Roald Amundsen is the first to sail the Northwest Passage.
1920 The southern boundary of the NWT is established.
1921 The first airplanes come to the Mackenzie Valley.
1934 Gold is discovered at Yellowknife Bay, and a new town springs up.
1967 The NWT Government moves from Ottawa to Yellowknife.
1979 The Dempster Highway, Canada's only road to the Arctic, is completed.
1974 The Berger Inquiry looks into the impacts of an oil/gas pipeline from the Beaufort Sea through the Mackenzie Valley; a moratorium is recommended to allow Aboriginal peoples to settle their Land Claims first.
1984 The Inuvialuit of the Western Arctic sign the North's first Land Claim.
1987 The Dene Cultural Institute opens its doors.
1994 The Sahtu Final Agreement takes effect.
1998 Ekati becomes the first diamond mine in North America.
1999 The NWT divides with the creation of Nunavut.
2001 Tuktoyaktuk names its streets and numbers its houses.
2002 Aboriginal groups join forces with petroleum companies to promote a Mackenzie Valley Pipeline.
2003 NWT's second diamond mine, Diavik, produces first diamonds.
2005 The Tlicho Land Claim takes effect
2006 The Machenzie Highway and Highway 3 paving is comleted to Yellowknife

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Weather

The NWT has a relatively dry, cold climate, with long winters and warm summers drenched in sunlight. Temperatures can range from highs of 35ºC in summer to minus 45ºC in winter. For a chart of average temperatures in various NWT communities, click here.

For up-to-the-minute NWT weather reports and forecasts, click here.

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Hours of daylight

Hours of sunlight and darkness vary widely with the seasons, becoming more extreme as you travel north. December 21 (Winter Solstice) is the shortest day of the year, while June 21 (Summer Solstice) is the longest. For detailed information about average hours of sunlight in various NWT locations and seasons, click here.

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The NWT's Official Symbols

The official emblems and symbols of the Northwest Territories reflect our unique history and rich natural heritage.

Territorial Flag	Coat of Arms


Territorial Bird	Territorial Flower
Gyrfalcon	Mountain Avens

Territorial Tree	Territorial Fish
Image:GNWT Tamarack	Arctic Grayling

Official Gem	Official Mineral
Diamond	Gold