Nunavut Territory

• the largest and newest Canadian territory, established April 1, 1999
• makes up 20% of Canada's land area
• territorial capital Iqaluit
• territorial bird Rock Ptarmigan 
• territorial flower Arctic Poppy
• in the Central Time Zone. Is the same as Ottawa, ON in the winter (October to April), and in the summer (April to October) it's the same as Winnipeg, MB 

Nunavut is north of Manitoba and east of Hudson's Bay, and is made up of the central and eastern portions of the former Northwest Territories. It shares a tiny land border with Newfoundland and Labrador on the east. It also shares aquatic borders with the provinces of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, and the country of Greenland. Google Map

Nunavut, Canada's newest territory means "our land" in Inuktitut, the Inuit language. Nunavut covers about two million square kilometres of land and water in northern Canada, including part of the mainland, most of the Arctic Archipelago, and all of the islands in Hudson Bay, James Bay and Ungava Bay. The territory makes up 1/5 of Canada's land base.

The creation of Nunavut created Canada's only "four corners""at the intersection of the boundaries of Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, on the southern shore of Kasba Lake. This is not the tourist spot it might be, as it is extremely remote and inaccessible. Nevertheless there is a marker at the point, and some have made the trek.

 Nunavut is a land of rock, snow, ice, and sea. Like Canada's other territories, it can be divided into two broad geographical regions - the boreal forest in the south and the Arctic tundra in the north.

Iqaluit (on Baffin Island) was chosen capital of Nunavut in 1995. It is the largest community in Nunavut with a population of 4,500 (17% of the population) and is located approximately 2,000 kilometres from Ottawa, Ontario.

Nunavut's small and sparse population makes it unlikely the territory will be granted provincial status in the foreseeable future, although this may change if the Yukon, which is only marginally more populous, becomes a province.

Climate - The average temperature in January is -30°C and in July is +15°C. Iqaluit, the capital, experiences 24 hours of daylight per day in June, and six hours per day in December.

See also

Birding North Canada

National Parks in Nunavut

Amphibians of the Territories

Reptiles of the Territories