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Ungava Peninsula

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

The Ungava Peninsula is a large piece of land in Canada.

Ungava Peninsula location map
Ungava Peninsula location map

It sits in the far northwest part of Quebec. This area is part of the bigger Labrador Peninsula. To its west lies Hudson Bay. The north is bounded by the Hudson Strait. To the east, you will find Ungava Bay.

Canada Quebec location map 2
Canada Quebec location map 2

The peninsula covers about 252,000 square kilometers. Its northernmost point is Cape Wolstenholme. This spot is the northernmost point in all of Quebec. It is also the northernmost point of any province in Canada.

The land here looks very different from a forest. It is mostly treeless tundra. Many rivers and glacial lakes sit on the land. These rivers and lakes flow east and west in straight lines. The ground has thick permafrost. This means the soil stays frozen. This frozen ground makes it hard to use normal building ways.

Ungava Peninsula location map
Ungava Peninsula location map

You can reach the area by plane. Ships can also visit when the sea ice breaks up.

This place has a very old story. A huge ice sheet once lived here. Scientists believe this ice sheet spread over most of North America from this spot. The ice did not melt away until 6,500 years ago. The rocks under the ground are also very old. Some are Archean rocks from 2.7 to 2.9 billion years ago.

Canada Quebec location map 2
Canada Quebec location map 2

There is even a place called the Pingualuit impact crater. This is a hole made by a space rock hitting the Earth.

About 10,000 people live on the peninsula. Most of them, about 90 percent, are Inuit. These people live in 12 villages along the coast. The largest village is named Kuujjuaq. It is the capital for the Kativik Regional Government. This government looks after the whole peninsula.

Canada Quebec location map 2
Canada Quebec location map 2

Some islands off the coast belong to a different area called Nunavut. The Unavuk Peninsula is part of a proposed area called Nunavik.

The weather in Ungava is extremely cold. This happens because of the Labrador Current. This is a cold ocean current. It keeps the area much colder in the summer than other places.

Canada Quebec location map 2
Canada Quebec location map 2

Animals have lived here too. The Ungava brown bear once lived in this area. It was a type of grizzly bear, but it is now extinct. You can also find the Ungava seal here. This seal is a type of Harbor seal.

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File:Canada Quebec location map 2.svg
Canada Quebec location map 2.svg
File:Ungava Peninsula location map.svg
Ungava Peninsula location map.svg
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