The North of Canada consists of three territories: Yukon, the Northwest territories, and Nunavut. They extend into the Arctic, and have just above 100.000 inhabitants spread across a land area larger than India.
Much of the population are Inuit (Eskimo) or members of other native First Nations; see Indigenous cultures of North America.
In this area the term "city" becomes a relative term, especially when measured by population. However, some rather small places (by Southern standards) can have tremendous importance for huge areas as the only thing even approaching a city for hundreds or even thousands of miles. The most important places are:
- Dawson City.
- Iqaluit.
- Inuvik.
- Whitehorse.
- Yellowknife.
Dawson City.
Iqaluit.
Inuvik.
Whitehorse.
Yellowknife.
Much of this area is untouched wilderness or sparsely populated mining and logging country. As such national parks have a natural draw to them, with North American wildlife. Examples include:
Auyuittuq National Park.
Kluane National Park.
Nahanni National Park Reserve.
The North of Canada is a vast area made up of many different environments; ranging from boreal forest, to mountains, to subarctic all the way to high arctic. This is one of the most remote places on Earth and even the vast majority of Canadians will never visit the region. Travel here is extremely difficult and expensive. Most will want to visit during the summer when the territories aren't shrouded in near constant darkness, snow and freezing temperatures (to put it lightly). However, for those with the funds and motivation, visiting the North of Canada can be an extremely rewarding experience.
Pay attention to your destination and research in advance whether alcohol is allowed. Some villages are dry communities (no alcohol permitted). Carrying alcohol into dry communities is considered to be bootlegging and you may be fined or imprisoned for violating this policy.
There is no 9-1-1 emergency number in most communities in the Canadian high Arctic. As of 2016, the Yukon is making efforts to expand a very basic 9-1-1 (which is already available in Whitehorse) territory-wide. Elsewhere, 1-1-2 or 9-1-1 may merely reach a recording with no useful information.
Use the seven-digit local numbers for the individual services in each community to summon help in an emergency.
The articles cold weather, winter driving and dangerous animals all have advice which will be relevant to many travellers in the Arctic.
- Greenland
- North Pole