Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories is in northern Canada.

It sits near the Yukon and Nunavut. It also borders many provinces.

The land has many trees and lakes. One lake is very deep. It is the deepest in North America.

Many people live there. The Dene and Inuit people have lived here for a long time. Yellowknife is the main city.

It can be very cold in the north. The winters are long and harsh. It is a big and beautiful place.

The Northwest Territories is in northern Canada.

It sits next to the Yukon and Nunavut. It also borders five provinces.

This place has many lakes. Great Bear Lake is the largest lake inside Canada. Great Slave Lake is the deepest in North America. You can also see the Mackenzie River.

The land has forests and tundra. Tundra is a cold area with very few trees. The north is very cold. The south is a bit warmer.

Many groups of people call this home. The Dene people live in a large area called Denendeh. The Inuvialuit live along the northern coast.

Yellowknife is the capital city. It is also the largest community. About 20,340 people lived there in 2021. The territory became part of Canada in 1870. Its borders changed many times over the years. One big change was in 1999. That is when Nunavut was made into a new territory.

The Northwest Territories is a large part of northern Canada.

It sits between the Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east. To the south, it shares borders with four provinces. These are British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

The land is very big. It is about the same size as France, Portugal, and Spain put together. This does not even count the huge lakes in the area. The territory has many different kinds of land. Some parts have thick forests called boreal forests or taiga. Other parts are tundra, which is open and cold ground.

Nature is very grand in this region. You can find Great Bear Lake here. It is the largest lake located entirely inside Canada. There is also Great Slave Lake. This is the deepest body of water in all of North America.

The Mackenzie River flows through the land too. In the north, you will find many islands. These are part of the Arctic Archipelago. Some islands include Banks Island and Victoria Island. The highest point is a place called Mount Nirvana. It sits near the border with the Yukon.

Many different groups of people have lived here for a long time. The Dene people call much of this land Denendeh. Their homes stretch from Alaska to Hudson Bay.

Along the northern coast, the Inuvialuit people live. They have their own settlement region.

Cree and Métis peoples also use some of this land. The capital city is Yellowknife. It is the only city in the territory. In 2021, about 20,340 people lived in Yellowknife.

The history of this place has changed many times. The territory joined Canada on July 15, 1870. Back then, it was much larger than it is now. It covered most of what we know as Canada today. Over the years, the borders were divided four times. This helped create new provinces and territories. For example, the Yukon became its own territory in 1898. Then, Nunavut was created to the east in 1999.

The name used to be the North-Western Territory. It was changed to the Northwest Territories in 1906.

Weather in the Northwest Territories can be very extreme. The climate changes as you move from south to north. The south has a subarctic climate. The north has a polar climate. In the north, summers are short and cool. Winters are long and very harsh. In the north, the coldest nights can reach very low temperatures. In the south, it can get warmer in the summer. Thunderstorms can happen in the south, but they are rare in the north. Tornadoes are very rare, but one once hit near Yellowknife.

The Northwest Territories is a large territory in northern Canada.

It is the second-largest and second-most populous of Canada's three northern territories. As of 2025, the estimated population is 45,848 people. The territory sits between the Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east. To the south, it shares borders with British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. It also touches Manitoba at a unique quadripoint where four borders meet.

The geography of the region is vast and diverse. The land area is roughly equal to the size of France, Portugal, and Spain combined. This figure does not even include its massive lakes. The territory contains Great Bear Lake, which is the largest lake located entirely within Canada. It also holds Great Slave Lake, the deepest body of water in North America.

In the north, the land includes islands from the Arctic Archipelago, such as Banks Island and Victoria Island. The highest point in the territory is Mount Nirvana, located near the Yukon border.

The climate varies greatly depending on your location. The southern mainland has a subarctic climate. The northern islands and coasts have a polar climate.

In the south, summers can be warm, with highs reaching 30°C. However, winters are long and harsh, with temperatures often dropping to -40°C. In the north, summers are short and cool. Winters in the north are extremely cold, with nighttime temperatures reaching very low levels. While thunderstorms occur in the south, they are very rare in the north. Tornadoes are also extremely rare, though one once hit near Yellowknife.

Indigenous peoples have deep connections to this land. Much of the territory covers Denendeh, the traditional land of the Dene. The Dene include many nations, such as the Tłı̨chǫ, Gwichʼin, and Got'iné.

Along the northern coast, the Inuvialuit people live in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region.

This area is also known as Inuvialuit Nunangit Sannaiqtuaq. Additionally, Cree and Métis peoples have used parts of this land traditionally.

The history of the territory involves many changes to its borders. The Northwest Territories entered Canadian Confederation on July 15, 1870. At that time, it was much larger than it is today. It included most of modern Nunavut, the Canadian Prairies, and parts of Northern Ontario and Quebec. Since 1870, the territory has been divided four times to create new areas. For example, the Yukon was split off in 1898. Later, Nunavut was created to the east on April 1, 1999.

The name of the territory has also evolved over time. Originally, it was called the North-West Territories. The name was changed to the Northwest Territories in 1906. The original name was used by the British government to describe its location relative to Rupert's Land. Today, there is ongoing discussion about changing the name. Some people suggest using an Indigenous name, such as "Denendeh."

Yellowknife serves as the capital and is the only city in the territory. As of the 2021 census, its population was 20,340. It became the capital in 1967 following recommendations from the Carrothers Commission. The territory's economy and landscape are shaped by its unique environment. The land features both boreal forest, also called taiga, and tundra. About half of the territory sits above the tree line, where trees cannot grow. This creates a landscape of open, treeless ground in many areas.