The vast Canadian territory that was once one-third of a nation

Cultures · Published 1 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before the 1999 creation of Nunavut, the Northwest Territories spanned a massive portion of the Canadian North. Today, this rugged expanse of tundra and forest remains a landscape of extremes, where ancient rocks meet a climate that dictates the very rhythm of life.

The Northwest Territories encompass a diverse landscape of northern and northwestern Canada, characterized by a blend of boreal forest (taiga) and Arctic tundra. To the southwest of the timberline, the landscape features the Mackenzie Mountains, where unnamed peaks reach elevations of 9,098 feet. Further north and east, the terrain transitions into the barren lands of the Arctic, where the soil is often thin and sandy, and the ground is underlain by rock as old as one billion years.

Life in the territories is shaped by a demanding climate. In the Mackenzie Lowlands, the growing season is remarkably short, with only about 70 frost-free days. While summer temperatures in July can average around 60 °F at settlements along the Mackenzie River, winters are severe; in the capital of Yellowknife, January temperatures average −16 °F. This cold leads to the presence of permafrost, which creates significant construction challenges due to the unstable mixture of silt and water.

Despite these hardships, the region supports a variety of resilient wildlife. The lowlands host species such as moose, wolves, and beaver, while the more barren northern reaches are home to caribou, musk ox, and the Arctic fox. Along the coasts, one can find seals, walrus, and polar bears. The territory's history and geography have been significantly reshaped by political changes, most notably the 1999 division that reduced the territory's area by more than half.

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