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{{Short description|Territory of Canada}}{{About|the contempary Canadian territory|its predecessor|North-Western Territory|the former U.S. territory|Northwest Territory|similar names|Northwest (disambiguation)}}{{Use Canadian English|date=July 2014}}{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2016}}

factoids

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA TITLE=PLACE NAMES - TERRITOIRES DU NORD-OUEST ACCESS-DATE=2021-11-15, www4.rncan.gc.ca, | image_flag = Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg| image_shield = Coat_of_arms_of_Northwest_Territories.svg| image_map = Northwest Territories in Canada 2.svg| Label_map = yes690112108type:adm1st_scale:30000000_region:CA-NTid=LBCFB display=inline,title}}

• Chipewyan
• Cree
• English
• French
• Gwich’in
• Inuinnaqtun
• Inuktitut
• Inuvialuktun
• North Slavey
• South Slavey
• Tłı̨chÇ«{edih}| capital = Yellowknife| largest_city = Yellowknife| largest_metro = Yellowknife| Premier = R. J. Simpson

Parliamentary system, with Consensus government in Canada>consensus government| Viceroy = Margaret Thom| ViceroyType = Commissioner| Legislature = Legislative Assembly of the Northwest TerritoriesDATE=FEBRUARY 1, 2005, | area_rank = 3rd| area_total_km2 = 1346106| area_land_km2 = 1183085| area_water_km2 = 163021| PercentWater = 13.5Northwest Territorian(s) Hansard, Thursday, March 25, 2004 {{webarchive>url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090324220726weblink NWTer(s) Hansard, Monday, October 23, 2006 {{webarchive>url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090324220716weblink official record of the territorial legislature. According to the Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage ({{ISBN>978-0-19-541619-0}}; p. 335), there is no common term for a resident of Northwest Territories.Canadian French: ''| population_rank = 11th| population_total = 41070PUBLISHER=STATISTICS CANADA ACCESS-DATE=FEBRUARY 9, 2022 ARCHIVE-DATE=FEBRUARY 9, 2022,weblink 2021 Canadian census>2021| population_est = 44741| pop_est_as_of = Q1 2024URL=HTTPS://WWW150.STATCAN.GC.CA/T1/TBL1/EN/TV.ACTION?PID=1710000901 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20230928010937/HTTPS://WWW150.STATCAN.GC.CA/T1/TBL1/EN/TV.ACTION?PID=1710000901 ACCESS-DATE=SEPTEMBER 28, 2023, Statistics Canada, | DensityRank = 12th| Density_km2 = 0.035| GDP_year = 2017 PUBLISHER=STATISTICS CANADA ACCESS-DATE=SEPTEMBER 17, 2019, | GDP_rank = 11th| GDP_per_capita = C$108,065| GDP_per_capita_rank = 1st| HDI_year = 2021ACCESS-DATE=2020-06-18, globaldatalab.org, —Very highList of Canadian provinces and territories by Human Development Index>4th| Former = British Arctic Territories, North-Western Territory, Rupert's Land| AdmittanceOrder = 5th, with ManitobaCeded to Canada by the Hudson's Bay Company.}}| HouseSeats = 1| SenateSeats = 1| timezone1 =| utc_offset1 = −07:00| timezone1_DST =| utc_offset1_DST = −06:00| PostalAbbreviation = NTList of X postal codes of Canada>X0, X1 (Yellowknife)| iso_code = CA-NTweblink}}Dryas octopetala>Mountain avensLarix laricina>Tamarack Larch| bird = Gyrfalcon}}The Northwest Territories (abbreviated NT or NWT; ; formerly North-West Territories) is a federal territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately {{cvt|1144000|km2}} and a 2016 census population of 41,790, it is the second-largest and the most populous of the three territories in Northern Canada.WEB,weblink Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, 2011 and 2006 censuses, Statcan.gc.ca, February 8, 2012, February 8, 2012, December 26, 2018,weblink dead, Its estimated population as of 2023 is 45,668.WEB,weblink Population by year of Canada of Canada and territories, Statistics Canada, September 26, 2014, March 12, 2019, Yellowknife is the capital, most populous community, and only city in the territory; its population was 19,569 as of the 2016 census. It became the territorial capital in 1967, following recommendations by the Carrothers Commission.The Northwest Territories, a portion of the old North-Western Territory, entered the Canadian Confederation on July 15, 1870. Since then, the territory has been divided four times to create new provinces and territories or enlarge existing ones. Its current borders date from April 1, 1999, when the territory's size was decreased again by the creation of a new territory of Nunavut to the east, through the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.WEB,weblink Nunavut Act, Justice Canada, Department of Justice (Canada), 1993, April 26, 2007, WEB,weblink20070517/en?command=searchadvanced&caller=AD&search_type=bool&shorttitle=%20Nunavut%20Land%20Claims%20Agreement%20Act&day=17&month=5&year=2007&search_domain=cs&showall=L&statuteyear=all&lengthannual=50&length=50, Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, Justice Canada, 1993, April 26, 2007, June 5, 2011, https:web.archive.org/web/20110605063004weblink dead, While Nunavut is mostly Arctic tundra, the Northwest Territories has a slightly warmer climate and is both boreal forest (taiga) and tundra, and its most northern regions form part of the Arctic Archipelago.The Northwest Territories has the most interprovincial and inter-territorial land borders among all provinces and territories of Canada. It is bordered by the territories of Nunavut to the east and Yukon to the west, and by the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan to the south; it also touches Manitoba to the southeast at a quadripoint that includes Nunavut and Saskatchewan. The land area of the Northwest Territories is roughly equal to that of France, Portugal and Spain combined, although its overall area is even larger because of its vast lakes.

Name

{{See also|#History}}The name was originally descriptive, adopted by the British government during the colonial era to indicate where it lay in relation to the rest of Rupert's Land. It has been shortened from North-Western Territory and then North-West Territories.In Inuktitut, the Northwest Territories are referred to as {{transliteration|iu|Nunatsiaq}} (Inuktitut syllabics ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᖅ), "beautiful land".JOURNAL , The northernmost region of the territory is home to the Inuvialuit, who primarily live in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (Inuvialuit Nunangit Sannaiqtuaq), while the southern portion is called (an Athabaskan word meaning "our land"). is the vast Dene country, stretching from central Alaska to Hudson Bay, within which lie the homelands of the numerous Dene nations.Since the Yukon Territory was split from it in 1898 it is no longer the westernmost territory, and until Nunavut was split from it in 1999 it included territory extending as far east as Canada's Atlantic provinces.WEB, Hopper, Tristin, February 28, 2018, Why the Northwest Territories desperately need a name change,weblink National Post, WEB, 2021-07-15, Northwest Territories,weblink 2023-11-29, Wordorigins.org, en-US, WEB, Canada's Northwest Territories Travel Guide,weblink 2023-11-29, The Art of Travel: Wander, Explore, Discover, en-US, There has been some discussion of changing the name, possibly to a term from an Indigenous language. One proposal was "Denendeh", as advocated by the former premier Stephen Kakfwi, among others.WEB,weblink Tundra for two: dividing Canada's far-north is no small task, February 22, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20050405201955weblink">weblink April 5, 2005, One of the most popular proposals for a new name—to name the territory "Bob"—began as a prank, but for a while it was at or near the top in the public-opinion polls.NEWS,weblink Northwest Territories looking for new name – "Bob" need not apply, CBC, Canada, January 11, 2002, February 22, 2011, NEWS,weblink Western Arctic to Northwest Territories: MP calls for riding name change, CBC, Canada, June 25, 2008, April 30, 2015, WEB, Jon Willing,weblink What about Bob, Water-Lou?, February 22, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20030118152558weblink">weblink January 18, 2003,

Geography

Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, as well as four provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south, and Manitoba (through a quadripoint) to the extreme southeast. It has a land area of {{cvt|1183085|km2}}.Geographical features include Great Bear Lake, the largest lake entirely within Canada,WEB,weblink Top 10 Lakes – Great Bear Lake, January 11, 2009, May 30, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160530065308weblink">weblink dead, and Great Slave Lake, the deepest body of water in North America at {{cvt|614|m}}, as well as the Mackenzie River and the canyons of the Nahanni National Park Reserve, a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Territorial islands in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago include Banks Island, Borden Island, Prince Patrick Island, and parts of Victoria Island and Melville Island. Its highest point is Mount Nirvana near the border with Yukon at an elevation of {{cvt|2773|m}}.

Climate

{{See also|Climate change in the Arctic}}(File:Northwest Territories Köppen.svg|thumb|Köppen climate types in the Northwest Territories)The Northwest Territories extends for more than {{cvt|1300000|km2}} and has a large climate variant from south to north. The southern part of the territory (most of the mainland portion) has a subarctic climate, while the islands and northern coast have a polar climate.Summers in the north are short and cool, featuring daytime highs of {{cvt|14|–|17|C}} and lows of {{cvt|1|–|5|C}}. Winters are long and harsh, with daytime highs {{cvt|−20|to|−25|C}} and lows {{cvt|−30|to|−35|C}}. The coldest nights typically reach {{cvt|−40|to|−45|C}} each year.Extremes are common with summer highs in the south reaching {{cvt|36|C}} and lows reaching below {{cvt|0|C}}. In winter in the south, it is not uncommon for the temperatures to reach {{cvt|−40|C}}, but they can also reach the low teens during the day. In the north, temperatures can reach highs of {{cvt|30|C}}, and lows into the low negatives. In winter in the north, it is not uncommon for the temperatures to reach {{cvt|−50|C}} but they can also reach single digits during the day.Thunderstorms are not rare in the south. In the north, they are very rare but do occur.ENCYCLOPEDIA About half of the territory is above the tree line. There are not many trees in most of the eastern areas of the territory, or in the north islands.WEB,weblink Publications & Maps, Globalforestwatch.org, February 22, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110612073126weblink">weblink June 12, 2011, dead, {| class="wikitable sortable"|+Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in Northwest Territories!City!July (°C)!July (°F)!January (°C)!January (°F)Fort SimpsonENVIRONMENT CANADAID=CLIMATE ID: 2202101WORK=CANADIAN CLIMATE NORMALS 1981–2010ACCESS-DATE=OCTOBER 19, 2020, 24/11 75/52 −20/−29 −4/−19YellowknifeENVIRONMENT CANADA ID = CLIMATE ID: 2204100 WORK = CANADIAN CLIMATE NORMALS 1981–2010 ACCESS-DATE = OCTOBER 19, 2020, 21/13 70/55 −22/−30 −7/−21InuvikENVIRONMENT CANADA ID = CLIMATE ID: 2202570 WORK = CANADIAN CLIMATE NORMALS 1981–2010 ACCESS-DATE = OCTOBER 19, 2020, 20/9 67/48 −23/−31 −9/−24Sachs HarbourENVIRONMENT CANADA ID = CLIMATE ID: 2503650 WORK = CANADIAN CLIMATE NORMALS 1981–2010 ACCESS-DATE = OCTOBER 19, 2020, 10/3 50/38 −24/−32 −12/−25

History

{{Also|Denendeh|Inuvialuit Nunangit|Inuit Nunangat|Métis}}{{more citations needed|section|date=July 2017}}File:Northern athabaskan.svg|thumb|The various Dene subdivisions including the Got'iné (labelled here as "North Slavey"), Tłı̨chǫ ("Dogrib"), GwichʼinGwichʼinThere are multiple Indigenous territories overlapping the current borders of the Northwest Territories. These include Denendeh,WEB, Home,weblink Dene Nation, 7 November 2023, Inuvialuit Settlement Region (Inuvialuit Nunangit Sannaiqtuaq), and both Métis and Nêhiyawak countries (Michif PiyiiWEB, Michif Piyii,weblink native-land.ca, 7 November 2023, and ᓀᐦᐃᔮᓈᕁ nêhiýânâhk,WEB, country,weblink Plains Cree Dictionary, Algonquin Dictionaries Project, 7 November 2023, respectively). Of these, Denendeh and the Dene nations are the most prominent with the rest of the Dene country ("Dene-ndeh" or Deneland) covering much of what is now Alaska, British Columbia, and the northern regions of the prairie provinces.WEB, Dënéndeh,weblink native-land.ca, 7 November 2023, Some of its constituent territories include Tłı̨chǫ Country, Got'iné Néné, Dehchondéh, and Gwichʼin Nành, amongst others including those of the Dënë Sųłinë́ (Nëné, "land"), Dane-z̲aa (Nanéʔ), and the T'satsąot'ınę (Ndé). Historically, Dene have lived across Denendeh and what is now the NWT since time immemorial and the era of Yamoria and Yamozha.WEB, Yamǫǫ̀zha - Dene Laws,weblink Tlicho History, Tłı̨chǫ Government, 7 November 2023, NEWS, Campbell, Daniel, The Hero of the Dene,weblink 7 November 2023, Up Here Publishing, File:NWT-YT Inuvialuit Settlement Locator.svg|thumb|left|Map of the (Inuvialuit Settlement Region]]: Inuvialuit Nunangit)File:Inuvialuit flag.svg|thumb|left|Flag of the InuvialuitInuvialuitAlong the northern coast live one of the Inuit sudivisions: the Inuvialuit, a conglomerate of several Inuvialuit peoples, including the Uummarmiut, Kangiryuarmiut, and Siglit. Their country, variously called Inuvialuit Nunangit, Inuvialuit Nunungat, or Inuvialuit Nunangat corresponds to the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and belongs to the greater Inuit Nunangat.WEB, Inuit Nunangat Map,weblink www.itk.ca, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, April 4, 2019, 7 November 2023, Amongst the other Inuit, there are also the Copper Inuit who inhabit their traditional territory, Inuinnait Nunangat, between the Kitikmeot and Inuvik Regions.ENCYCLOPEDIA, McGhee, Robert, Inuinnait (Copper Inuit), The Canadian Encyclopedia, 4 March 2015, Historica Canada,weblink To the south are the Cree First Nations and Métis.In 1670, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) was formed from a royal charter, and was granted a commercial monopoly over Rupert's Land. Present day Northwest Territories laid northwest of Rupert's Land, and was known as the North-Western Territory. Although not formally part of Rupert's Land, the HBC made regular use of the region as a part of its trading area. The Treaty of Utrecht saw the British become the only European power with practical access to the North-Western Territory, with the French surrendering their claim to the Hudson Bay coast.Europeans have visited the region for the purposes of fur trading, and exploration for new trade routes, including the Northwest Passage. Arctic expeditions launched in the 19th century include the Coppermine expedition.In 1867, the first Canadian residential school opened in the region in Fort Resolution. The opening of the school was followed by several others in regions across the territory, thus contributing to it reaching the highest percentage of students in residential schools compared to other area in Canada.WEB, Residential Schools Education,weblink www.ece.gov.nt.ca, File:Franklin's canoes in gale.jpg|thumb|Members of the Coppermine expedition caught by a storm in Coronation GulfCoronation GulfFile:North-western-territory.png|thumb|Map of the North-Western Territory and Rupert's LandRupert's LandThe present-day territory came under the authority of the Government of Canada in July 1870, after the Hudson's Bay Company transferred Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory to the British Crown, which subsequently transferred them to Canada, giving it the name the North-West Territories. This immense region comprised all of today's Canada except British Columbia, an early form of Manitoba (a small square area around Winnipeg), early forms of present-day Ontario and Quebec (the coast of the Great Lakes, the Saint Lawrence River valley and the southern third of modern Quebec), the Maritimes (Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick), Newfoundland, the Labrador coast, and the Arctic Islands (except the southern half of Baffin Island).{{NoteTag|The Arctic Islands remained under direct British claim until 1880.}}WEB,weblink Canadian Heritage – Northwest Territories, Pch.gc.ca, July 13, 2010, February 22, 2011, {{Canada provinces map|border=none|align=left|prefix =History of|the=the|map=Canada provinces evolution 2.gif|caption=Timeline of the divisions of Canada; size of the Northwest Territories changes throughout 1870 to 1999}}After the 1870 transfer, some of the North-West Territories was whittled away. The province of Manitoba was enlarged in 1881 to a rectangular region composing the modern province's south. By the time British Columbia joined Confederation on July 20, 1871, it had already (1866) been granted the portion of North-Western Territory south of 60 degrees north and west of 120 degrees west, an area that comprised most of the Stickeen Territories.{{Citation needed|date = April 2016}}(File:Northwest Territories Proclamation.jpg|thumb|upright|A proclamation concerning the formation of the North-West Territories, from recently transferred territories to the Canadian government)The North-West Territories Council was created in 1875 for more local government in the North-West Territories.CANLAW, The North-West Territories Act, 1875, SC, 1875, 49, 3, 7.,weblink At first wholly made up of appointed members, it got its first elected members in 1882 and became wholly elected in 1888 when the council was reorganized as the Legislative Assembly of the North-West Territories. Frederick Haultain, an Ontario lawyer who practised at Fort Macleod from 1884, became its chairman in 1891 and Premier when the Assembly was reorganized in 1897. The modern provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta were created in 1905. Contemporary records show Haultain recommended that the NWT become a single province, named Buffalo, but the Canadian government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier acted otherwise.Alberta Online Encyclopedia biography of Frederick Haultain weblink" title="https:/-/wayback.archive-it.org/2217/20101208163028weblink">weblinkMardon and Mardon, Alberta Election Results, 1882-1992, p. 195In the meantime, the province of Ontario was enlarged north-westward in 1882. Quebec was also extended northwards in 1898. Yukon was made a separate territory that year, due to the Klondike Gold Rush, to free the North-West Territories government in Regina from the burden of addressing the problems caused by the sudden boom of population and economic activity, and the influx of non-Canadians.{{Citation needed|date = April 2016}} One year after the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were created in 1905, the Parliament of Canada renamed the "North-West Territories" as the Northwest Territories, dropping all hyphenated forms of it.WEB Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec acquired the last addition to their modern landmass from the Northwest Territories in 1912. This left only the districts of Mackenzie, Franklin (which absorbed the remnants of Ungava in 1920) and Keewatin within what was then given the name Northwest Territories. In 1925, the boundaries of the Northwest Territories were extended all the way to the North Pole on the sector principle, vastly expanding its territory onto the northern ice cap.{{Citation needed|date = April 2016}} Between 1925 and 1999, the Northwest Territories covered a land area of {{cvt|3439296|km2}}—larger than one-third of Canada in terms of area.{{Citation needed|date = April 2016}}On April 1, 1999, a separate Nunavut territory was formed from the eastern Northwest Territories to represent the Inuit.WEB,weblink Creation of a new Northwest Territories, Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, 27 January 2017,

Demography

{{Pie chart PUBLISHER=STATISTICS CANADA URL=HTTPS://WWW12.STATCAN.GC.CA/CENSUS-RECENSEMENT/2016/DP-PD/HLT-FST/ABO-AUT/TABLE.CFM?LANG=ENG&S=99&O=A&RPP=25 PUBLISHER=STATISTICS CANADA URL=HTTPS://WWW12.STATCAN.GC.CA/CENSUS-RECENSEMENT/2016/DP-PD/HLT-FST/IMM/TABLE.CFM?LANG=E&T=41&GEO=00&SP=1&VISMIN=2&AGE=1&SEX=1, July 16, 2019, | other =European Canadians>European Canadian| value1 = 39.7| color1 = #d8d8d8First Nations in Canada>First Nations| value2 = 32.1| color2 = #ba1d1d| label3 = Inuit| value3 = 9.9| color3 = #eddb38| label4 = Visible minority| value4 = 9.6| color4 = #a0a0a0| label5 = Métis| value5 = 8.2| color5 = #3183d6| label6 = Other Indigenous responses| value6 = 0.5| color6 = #000000}}The NWT is one of two jurisdictions in Canada – Nunavut being the other – where Indigenous peoples are in the majority, constituting 50.4% of the population.WEB,weblink Canada 2016 Census, Statistics Canada, 25 June 2018, According to the 2016 Canadian census, the 10 major ethnic groups were:WEB,weblink Ethnic origin population, Statistics Canada, Statistics Canada, June 25, 2018, {{Div col|colwidth=30em}}

• First Nations â€“ 36.8%
• Canadian â€“ 18.6%
• English â€“ 15.9%
• Scottish â€“ 14.8%
• Irish â€“ 12.3%
• Inuit (Inuvialuit) â€“ 10.9%
• French â€“ 10.3%
• German â€“ 8.3%
• Métis â€“ 7.1%
• Ukrainian â€“ 3.1%

{{div col end}}{hide}Graph:Chart {edih}weblink. Statistics Canada, 2005.

Language

File:Multilingual sign for eye clinic in Yellowknife, NT.jpg|upright|thumb|Sign for an eye clinic in alt=A metallic white sign on a gray background with a red and blue depiction of a building at the top. Below it is text in blue saying "Eye Clinic" in English, French and the other nine official territorial languagesFrench was made an official language in 1877 by the then-territorial government. After a lengthy and bitter debate resulting from a speech from the throne in 1888 by Lieutenant Governor Joseph Royal, the members of the time voted on more than one occasion to nullify this and make English the only language used in the assembly. After some conflict with the Confederation Government in Ottawa, and a decisive vote on January 19, 1892, the assembly members voted for an English-only territory.Currently, the Northwest Territories' Official Languages Act recognizes the following eleven official languages:WEB,weblink Official Languages Act (Northwest Territories, 1998, August 5, 2021, Government of the Northwest Territories, WEB,weblink Official Languages of the Northwest Territories, August 5, 2021, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, October 19, 2021,weblink dead, {{Div col|colwidth=30em}}

• Chipewyan/Dené
• Cree
• English
• French
• Gwich’in
• Inuinnaqtun
• Inuktitut
• Inuvialuktun
• North Slavey
• South Slavey
• Tłı̨chÇ« (Dogrib)

{{div col end}}NWT residents have a right to use any of the above languages in a territorial court, and in the debates and proceedings of the legislature. However, the laws are legally binding only in their French and English versions, and the NWT government only publishes laws and other documents in the territory's other official languages when the legislature asks it to. Furthermore, access to services in any language is limited to institutions and circumstances where there is a significant demand for that language or where it is reasonable to expect it given the nature of the services requested. In practical terms, English language services are universally available, and there is no guarantee that other languages, including French, will be used by any particular government service, except for the courts.The 2016 census returns showed a population of 41,786. Of the 40,565 singular responses to the census question regarding each inhabitant's "mother tongue", the most reported languages were the following (italics indicate an official language of the NWT):{| class="wikitable"| 1| English| 31,765| 78.3%| 2| Dogrib (Tłı̨chǫ)| 1600| 3.9%| 3| French| 1175| 2.9%| 4| South Slavey| 775| 1.9%| 5| North Slavey| 745| 1.8%| 6Tagalog language>Tagalog| 745| 1.8%| 7|Inuinnaqtun| 470| 1.1%| 8| Dené| 440| 1.1%| 9| Slavey (not otherwise specified)| 175| 0.4%| 10| Gwich'in| 140| 0.3%| 11| Cree| 130| 0.3%There were also 630 responses of both English and a "non-official language"; 35 of both French and a "non-official language"; 145 of both English and French, and about 400 people who either did not respond to the question, or reported multiple non-official languages, or else gave some other unenumerable response. (Figures shown are for the number of single language responses and the percentage of total single-language responses.)WEB,weblink Census Profile, 2016 Census – Northwest Territories [Territory] and Canada [Country], Statistics Canada, Government of Canada, February 8, 2017, www12.statcan.gc.ca,

Religion

In the 2021 Census, 55.2% of the population followed Christianity (primarily Roman Catholicism); this is down from 67.6% in the 2001 Census. At the same time, the population reported having no religious affiliation has more than doubled, from 17.4% in 2001 to 39.8% in 2021 census. About 5.0% reported other religious affiliations.WEB,weblink Selected Religions, for Canada, Provinces and Territories â€“ 20% Sample Data, 2.statcan.ca, February 22, 2011, December 3, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161203202550weblink">weblink dead, WEB,weblink In 2021, more than half of the population of British Columbia and Yukon reported having no religion, while the Christian religion was predominant in the other provinces and territories, October 26, 2022, 26 November 2022,

Communities

{| class="wikitable"|+Five largest municipalities by population!Municipality!2016|Yellowknife|19,569Hay River, Northwest Territories>Hay RiverHTTPS://WWW12.STATCAN.GC.CA/CENSUS-RECENSEMENT/2016/DP-PD/PROF/DETAILS/PAGE.CFM?LANG=E&GEO1=CSD&CODE1=6105016&GEO2=PR&CODE2=61&SEARCHTEXT=HAY%20RIVER&SEARCHTYPE=BEGINS&SEARCHPR=01&B1=ALL&GEOLEVEL=PR&GEOCODE=6105016&TABID=1&TYPE=0 >TITLE=2011 COMMUNITY PROFILES – HAY RIVER DATE= NOVEMBER 29, 2017, October 6, 2020, |3,528InuvikHTTPS://WWW12.STATCAN.GC.CA/CENSUS-RECENSEMENT/2016/DP-PD/PROF/DETAILS/PAGE.CFM?LANG=E&GEO1=CSD&CODE1=6101017&GEO2=PR&CODE2=61&SEARCHTEXT=INUVIK&SEARCHTYPE=BEGINS&SEARCHPR=01&B1=ALL&GEOLEVEL=PR&GEOCODE=6101017&TABID=1&TYPE=0 PUBLISHER= WWW12.STATCAN.CA ACCESS-DATE= OCTOBER 6, 2020, |3,243Fort Smith, Northwest Territories>Fort SmithWEB,weblinkpublisher= www12.statcan.ca access-date= October 6, 2020, |2,542Behchokǫ̀HTTPS://WWW12.STATCAN.GC.CA/CENSUS-RECENSEMENT/2016/DP-PD/PROF/DETAILS/PAGE.CFM?LANG=E&GEO1=CSD&CODE1=6103031&GEO2=PR&CODE2=61&SEARCHTEXT=BEHCHOK%C3%B2&SEARCHTYPE=BEGINS&SEARCHPR=01&B1=ALL&GEOLEVEL=PR&GEOCODE=6103031&TABID=1&TYPE=0DATE=OCTOBER 6, 2020, |1,874As of 2014, there are 33 official communities in the NWT.WEB,weblink Communities, These range in size from Yellowknife with a population of 19,569WEB,weblink Census Profile, 2016 Census, February 8, 2017, Statistics Canada, to Kakisa with 36 people.WEB,weblink Census Profile, 2016 Census, February 8, 2017, Statistics Canada, Governance of each community differs, some are run under various types of First Nations control, while others are designated as a city, town, village or hamlet, but most communities are municipal corporations.WEB,weblink Differences in Community Government Structures, February 22, 2011, Yellowknife is the largest community and has the largest number of Aboriginal peoples, 4,520 (23.4%) people.WEB,weblink Yellowknife [Census agglomeration], 25 June 2018, However, Behchokǫ̀, with a population of 1,874,WEB,weblink Census Profile, www12.statcan.gc.ca, is the largest First Nations community, 1,696 (90.9%),WEB,weblink Behchokò – Aboriginal population, www12.statcan.gc.ca, June 25, 2018, and Inuvik with 3,243 peopleWEB,weblink Census Profile, www12.statcan.gc.ca, February 8, 2017, is the largest Inuvialuit community, 1,315 (40.5%).WEB,weblink search: Inuvik, www12.statcan.gc.ca, February 8, 2017, There is one Indian reserve in the NWT, Hay River Reserve, located on the south shore of the Hay River.

Economy

The gross domestic product of the Northwest Territories was C$4.856 billion in 2017.WEB, 2019-09-19, Statistics Canada, Statistics Canada. Table 36-10-0222-01 Gross domestic product, expenditure-based, provincial and territorial, annual (x 1,000,000), 2018, 10.25318/3610022201-eng,weblink Statistics Canada, It has the highest per capita GDP of all provinces and territories in Canada, totalling C$76,000 in 2009.WEB,weblink Did You Know?, Government of the Northwest Territories: Industry, Tourism and Investment, April 10, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100731193759weblink">weblink July 31, 2010, mdy-all,

Mining

The Territories' geological resources include gold, diamonds, natural gas and petroleum. BP is the only oil company currently producing oil there. Its diamonds are promoted as an alternative to purchasing blood diamonds.WEB,weblink BHP Billiton diamond marketing, Bhpbilliton.com, February 22, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110218112438weblink">weblink February 18, 2011, dead, Two of the biggest mineral resource companies in the world, BHP and Rio Tinto mine many of their diamonds there. In 2010, Territories' accounted for 28.5% of Rio Tinto's total diamond production (3.9 million carats, 17% more than in 2009, from the Diavik Diamond Mine) and 100% of BHP's (3.05 million carats from the EKATI mine).WEB,weblink Rio Tinto 4th quarter 2010 Operations, 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110124051458weblink">weblink January 24, 2011, mdy-all, WEB,weblink BHP Billiton 2010 Annual Report page 124, 2010, The Eldorado Mine produced uranium for the Manhattan Project, as well as radium, silver, and copper (for other uses).File:Diavik Diamond Mine, Canada by Planet Labs.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of the Diavik Diamond Mine in the North Slave RegionNorth Slave Region{{col div}}

• Eldorado Mine â€“ 1933–1940, 1942–1960, 1976–1982 (radium, uranium, silver, copper)
• Con Mine â€“ 1938–2003 (gold)
• Negus Mine â€“ 1939–1952 (gold)
• Ptarmigan and Tom Mine â€“ 1941–1942, 1986–1997 (gold)
• Thompson-Lundmark Mine â€“ 1941–1943, 1947–1949 (gold)
• Giant Mine â€“ 1948–2004 (gold)
• Discovery Mine â€“ 1950–1969 (gold)
• Rayrock Mine â€“ 1957–1959 (uranium)
• Camlaren Mine â€“ 1962–1963, 1980–1981 (gold)
• Cantung Mine â€“ 1962–1986, 2002–2003, 2005–2015 (tungsten)
• Echo Bay Mines â€“ 1964–1975 (silver and copper)
• Pine Point Mine â€“ 1964–1988 (lead and zinc)
• Tundra Mine â€“ 1964–1968 (gold)
• Terra Mine â€“ 1969–1985 (silver and copper)
• Salmita Mine â€“ 1983–1987 (gold)
• Colomac Mine â€“ 1990–1992, 1994–1997 (gold)
• Ekati Diamond Mine â€“ 1998–current (diamonds)
• Diavik Diamond Mine â€“ 2003–current (diamonds)
• Snap Lake Diamond Mine â€“ 2007–2015 (diamonds)

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Tourism

File:Nahanni River - Third Canyon.jpg|thumb|Nahanni National Park Reserve, one of several national parks and reserves in the Northwest Territories]]During the winter, many international visitors go to Yellowknife to watch the auroras. Five areas managed by Parks Canada are situated within the territory: Aulavik and Tuktut Nogait National Parks are in the northern part. Portions of Wood Buffalo National Park are located within it, although most of it is located in neighbouring Alberta. Parks Canada also manages three park reserves: Nááts'ihch'oh, Nahanni National Park Reserve, and Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve.

Government

File:Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories.jpg|thumb|The chamber of the Northwest Territories Legislative BuildingNorthwest Territories Legislative BuildingAs a territory, the NWT has fewer rights than the provinces. During his term, Premier Kakfwi pushed to have the federal government accord more rights to the territory, including having a greater share of the returns from the territory's natural resources go to the territory.WEB,weblink NWT Premier asks provincial leaders for backing, Globeandmail.com, February 22, 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081015121840weblink">weblink October 15, 2008, mdy-all, Devolution of powers to the territory was an issue in the 20th general election in 2003, and has been ever since the territory began electing members in 1881.The Commissioner of the NWT is the chief executive and is appointed by the Governor-in-Council of Canada on the recommendation of the federal Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. The position used to be more administrative and governmental, but with the devolution of more powers to the elected assembly since 1967, the position has become symbolic. The commissioner had full governmental powers until 1980 when the territories were given greater self-government. The legislative assembly then began electing a cabinet and government leader, later known as the premier. Since 1985 the commissioner no longer chairs meetings of the executive council (or cabinet), and the federal government has instructed commissioners to behave like a provincial lieutenant governor. Unlike lieutenant governors, the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories is not a formal representative of the King of Canada.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}Unlike provincial governments and the government of Yukon, the government of the Northwest Territories does not have political parties. It never has had political parties except for the period between 1898 and 1905. Its legislative assembly operates through the consensus government model.The website of the NWT government describes consensus government thusly:"The Northwest Territories is one of only two jurisdictions in Canada with a consensus system of government instead of one based on party politics. In our system, all Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are elected as independents. Shortly after the election, all Members meet as a Caucus to set priorities for that Assembly. The Caucus remains active throughout their term as the forum where all Members meet as equals.[...]Compared to the party system, there is much more communication between Regular Members and Cabinet. All legislation, major policies, and proposed budgets pass through the Regular Members' standing committees before coming to the House."WEB,weblink What is Consensus Government? | Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, The NWT Legislative Assembly is composed of one member elected from each of the nineteen constituencies. After each general election, the new assembly elects the premier and the speaker by secret ballot. Seven MLAs are also chosen as cabinet ministers, with the remainder forming the opposition.The membership of the current legislative assembly was set by the 2023 Northwest Territories general election on November 14, 2023. R.J. Simpson was selected as the new premier by his fellow MLAs on December 7, 2023weblink member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories is Michael McLeod (Liberal Party). The Commissioner of the Northwest Territories is Margaret Thom.In the Parliament of Canada, the NWT comprises a single Senate division and a single House of Commons electoral district, titled Northwest Territories (Western Arctic until 2014). Thus a single MP represents an area that is almost 14 percent of the land area of all of Canada.

Administrative regions

(File:NWT All Region Locator.svg|thumb|upright|Administrative regions of the Northwest Territories)The Northwest Territories is divided into five administrative regions (regional offices in parentheses):{{col div}}

• Dehcho Region (Fort Simpson)WEB,weblink Dehcho Region, April 8, 2021,
• Inuvik Region (Inuvik)WEB,weblink Inuvik Region, April 8, 2021,
• North Slave Region (Yellowknife and Behchoko [sub-office])WEB,weblink North Slave Region, April 8, 2021,
• Sahtu Region (Norman Wells)WEB,weblink Sahtu Region, April 8, 2021,
• South Slave Region (Fort Smith and Hay River [sub-office])WEB,weblink South Slave Region, April 8, 2021,

{{col div end}}

Departments

The government of Northwest Territories comprises the following departments:Government of the NWT {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230712173534weblink |date=July 12, 2023 }}, retrieved August 7, 2023{{col div}}

• Education, Culture and Employment
• Environment and Climate Change
• Executive and Indigenous Affairs
• Finance
• Health and Social Services
• Industry, Tourism and Investment
• Infrastructure
• Justice
• Legislative Assembly
• Municipal and Community Affairs

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Culture

File:Snowcastle under construction in Yellowknife 02.JPG|thumb|A snow fort at the annual Snowking Winter FestivalSnowking Winter FestivalAboriginal issues in the Northwest Territories include the fate of the Dene who, in the 1940s, were employed to carry radioactive uranium ore from the mines on Great Bear Lake. Of the thirty plus miners who worked at the Port Radium site, at least fourteen have died due to various forms of cancer. A study was done in the community of Deline, called A Village of Widows by Cindy Kenny-Gilday, which indicated that the number of people involved were too small to be able to confirm or deny a link.WEB,weblink A Village of Widows, Arcticcircle.uconn.edu, February 22, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110711233545weblink">weblink July 11, 2011, dead, WEB,weblink Echoes of the Atomic Age, Ccnr.org, February 22, 2011, There has been racial tension based on a history of violent conflict between the Dene and the Inuit,WEB,weblink Relations with their Southern Neighbours,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20000229125642weblink">weblink 29 February 2000, dead, who have now taken recent steps towards reconciliation.Land claims in the NWT began with the Inuvialuit Final Agreement, signed on June 5, 1984. It was the first Land Claim signed in the Territory, and the second in Canada.WEB, IRC: Inuvialuit Final Agreement,weblink March 28, 2012, February 10, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120210184606weblink">weblink dead, It culminated with the creation of the Inuit homeland of Nunavut, the result of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, the largest land claim in Canadian history.WEB,weblink Agreement between the Inuit of the Nunavut Settlement Area and Her Majesty The Queen in Right of Canada, January 10, 2009, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090324220716weblink">weblink March 24, 2009, mdy-all, Another land claims agreement with the Tłı̨chǫ people created a region within the NWT called Tli Cho, between Great Bear and Great Slave Lakes, which gives the Tłı̨chǫ their own legislative bodies, taxes, resource royalties, and other affairs, though the NWT still maintains control over such areas as health and education. This area includes two of Canada's three diamond mines, at Ekati and Diavik.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090212163741weblink">weblink dead, Government of the NWT news release on land claims signing, February 12, 2009,

Festivals

{{See also|Category:Festivals in the Northwest Territories}}Among the festivals in the region are the Great Northern Arts Festival, the Snowking Winter Festival, Folk on the Rocks music festival in Yellowknife, and Rockin the Rocks.

Transportation

{{More citations needed section|date=July 2020}}

Road

{{see also|List of Northwest Territories highways}}File:Dempster 2769.jpg|thumb|Dempster Highway, south of InuvikInuvikNorthwest Territories has nine numbered highways. The longest is the Mackenzie Highway, which stretches from the Alberta Highway 35's northern terminus in the south at the Alberta – Northwest Territories border at the 60th parallel to Wrigley, Northwest Territories in the north. Ice roads and winter roads are also prominent and provide road access in winter to towns and mines which would otherwise be fly-in locations. Yellowknife Highway branches out from Mackenzie Highway and connects it to Yellowknife. Dempster Highway is the continuation of Klondike Highway. It starts just west of Dawson City, Yukon, and continues east for over {{cvt|700|km}} to Inuvik. As of 2017, the all-season Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway connects Inuvik to communities along the Arctic Ocean as an extension of the Dempster Highway.Yellowknife did not have an all-season road access to the rest of Canada's highway network until the completion of Deh Cho Bridge in 2012. Prior to that, traffic relied on ferry service in summer and ice road in winter to cross the Mackenzie River. This became a problem during spring and fall time when the ice was not thick enough to handle vehicle load but the ferry could not pass through the ice, which would require all goods from fuel to groceries to be airlifted during the transition period.(File:NWT license plate 38542.jpg|thumb|right|A Northwest Territories licence plate)The Northwest Territories is the only jurisdiction in North America to issue a non rectangular standard licence plate. Instead, the territory issues a licence plate shaped like a polar bear.

Public transit

Yellowknife Transit is the public transportation agency in the city, and is the only transit system within the Northwest Territories.WEB,weblink Transit Route Analysis Study Final Report, City of Yellowknife, 2009-03-26, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110706213754weblink">weblink 2011-07-06,

Air

{{see also|List of airports in the Northwest Territories}}File:2015-09-06 Terminal at Yellowknife Airport (YZF).jpg|thumb|Entrance to Yellowknife Airport, the largest airportairportYellowknife Airport is the largest airport in the territory in terms of aircraft movements and passengers. It is the gateway airport to other destinations within the Northwest Territories. As the airport of the territory capital, it is part of the National Airports System. It is the hub of multiple regional airlines. Major airlines serving destinations within Northwest Territories include Buffalo Airways, Canadian North, North-Wright Airways.

See also

• List of airports in the Northwest Territories
• List of National Parks of Canada
• List of Northwest Territories highways
• List of Northwest Territories Legislative Assemblies
• List of Northwest Territories plebiscites
• List of communities in the Northwest Territories
• List of ghost towns in the Northwest Territories
• Scouting and Guiding in the Northwest Territories
• Symbols of the Northwest Territories

Notes

{{reflist|group=note}}

References

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

Further reading

• BOOK, Coates, Kenneth, 1985, Canada's colonies: a history of the Yukon and Northwest Territories,weblink Lorimer, 978-0-88862-931-9,
• BOOK, Choquette, Robert, 1995, The Oblate assault on Canada's northwest,weblink registration, Northwest Territories., University of Ottawa Press, 978-0-7766-0402-2,
• Ecosystem Classification Group, and Northwest Territories. Ecological Regions of the Northwest Territories Taiga Plains{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Yellowknife, NWT: Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources, Govt. of the Northwest Territories, 2007. {{ISBN|978-0-7708-0161-8}}

External links

{{Commons category|Northwest Territories}}{{Wikivoyage}}{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}

• {{Official website|name= Government of the Northwest Territories}}
• {{curlie|Regional/North_America/Canada/Northwest_Territories}}
• Northwest Territories Tourism
• Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
• Aurora College {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070527220611weblink |date=May 27, 2007 }}
• NWT Archives
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20050813082451weblink">NWT Literacy Council
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20031001203830weblink">Language Commissioner of the Northwest Territories
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20021011160739weblink">Lessons From the Land: interactive journeys of NWT traditional Aboriginal trails
• CBC Digital Archives – Northwest Territories: Voting in Canada's North
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140509001538weblink">Northwest Territories Act

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