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Common Ground News

What are the physical features of Northwest Territories?

Author

Matthew Cannon

Updated on March 02, 2026

What are the physical features of Northwest Territories?

Northwest Territories is a massive slice of land; one dominated by the Mackenzie Mountains, Mackenzie River and two of the planet's largest lakes. Part of its land is above the Arctic Circle, including Banks Island, nearly half of Victoria Island, and a few additional islands to the north of Melville Sound.

Just so, what is the northwest territory known for?

It was the initial post-colonial Territory of the United States and encompassed most of pre-war British colonial territory west of the Appalachian mountains north of the Ohio River. It included all the land west of Pennsylvania, northwest of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River below the Great Lakes.

Also, what makes Northwest Territories unique? NWT highlights include:Two of the largest freshwater lakes (Great Slave Lake and Great Bear) and river systems (Mackenzie River) in North America are in our backyard. Bison roam free in Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada's largest national park.

One may also ask, what is the land like in the Northwest Territories?

Weather and climateThe Northwest Territories' climate is cold but relatively dry, with temperate, sunny summers, in which temperatures rarely rise above 25°C (77°F), and long, bitter winters, during which the thermometer can plunge to -40°C (-40°F), especially north of the Arctic Circle.

What is the physical region of Northwest Territories?

The NWT includes three main regions: the Arctic Archipelago to the north, the arctic mainland and the Mackenzie Valley area. The arctic mainland, sometimes referred to as the Barren Lands, lies northeast of the treeline, and the Mackenzie Valley area to the west.

What is the official flower of Northwest Territories?

The Northwest Territories' floral emblem, the mountain avens (Dryas octopetala), was adopted in 1957. The creamy-white flower, which is a member of the rose family, grows in the Eastern and Central Arctic on high, barren rocky ground.

What are the Northwest Territories called?

In Inuktitut, the Northwest Territories are referred to as ?????? (Nunatsiaq), "beautiful land." The northernmost region of the territory is home to Inuvialuit, part of Inuit Nunangat called Nunangit, while the southern portion is called Denendeh (an Athabaskan language word meaning "our land").

Why is Northwest Territories not a province?

Northwest Territories and Nunavut have a different legal status than the provinces. Though the powers the territorial governments exercise are very similar to provincial powers, there are differences, even among the three territories. This issue is not directly addressed in the Nunavut Act.

How did the Northwest Territories get its name?

But there's no actual rhyme or reason to the territory's name. The Northwest Territories retains its name solely as an awkward holdover from the 19th century. Soon after British Columbia was added to confederation, the United Kingdom ceded to Canada all the lands between the Rocky Mountains and the province of Ontario.

What are the three Northwest Territories?

Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, as well as three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south.

Why is it called Yellowknife?

The city and Yellowknife Bay were named after the Yellowknives, a Dene band who lived on the islands of Great Slave's East Arm and travelled as far north as the Arctic coast to obtain copper for knives and other implements. They, in turn, acquired their name from the copper-bladed knives they carried.

How old is the Northwest Territories?

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.

What states were part of the Northwest Territory?

It included all the land west of Pennsylvania, northwest of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River below the Great Lakes. It spanned all or large parts of six eventual U.S. States (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and the northeastern part of Minnesota).

Do the Northwest Territories still exist?

The Northwest Territories (abbr. NT or NWT) is a federal territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately 1,144,000 km2 (442,000 sq mi) and a 2016 census population of 41,786, it is the second-largest and the most populous of the three territories in Northern Canada. Its estimated population as of 2020 is 44,904.

How did the Northwest Territories become a part of Canada?

The Northwest Territories (NWT) entered Confederation in 1870 after Canada acquired Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory from the Hudson's Bay Company. The smaller territory now known as the NWT is what remains after the creation of several other provinces and territories out of the original 1870 lands.

What is the climate in Northwest Territories?

Weather and climate
The Northwest Territories' climate is cold but relatively dry, with temperate, sunny summers, in which temperatures rarely rise above 25°C (77°F), and long, bitter winters, during which the thermometer can plunge to -40°C (-40°F), especially north of the Arctic Circle.

Who governs the Northwest Territories?

Caroline Cochrane is the Premier of the Northwest Territories and head of the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT). She was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in the 2015 election and is now serving her second term as a member of the 19th Legislative Assembly.

What is the average temperature in Northwest Territories?

The average annual temperature is -5.7 °C | 21.8 °F in Yellowknife. About 280 mm | 11.0 inch of precipitation falls annually.

How do the US and Canada compare in size?

United States is around the same size as Canada.
Canada is approximately 9,984,670 sq km, while United States is approximately 9,833,517 sq km, making United States 98.49% the size of Canada. Meanwhile, the population of Canada is ~35.6 million people (291.0 million more people live in United States).

What are the natural resources of Northwest Territories?

The NWT's geological resources include gold, diamonds, natural gas and petroleum. British Petroleum (BP) is the only oil company currently producing oil in the Territory. NWT diamonds are promoted as an alternative to purchasing blood diamonds.

Why has the Northwest Territories gotten smaller?

Northern pilots quickly became well-known heroes as they made travel in the Northwest Territories easier, contributing to the growth of the territory. Over the years, the Northwest Territories has slowly gotten smaller, as pieces of land have been used to form other provinces and territories.

Is Yellowknife safe?

Yellowknife is a small isolated city and as a result it does not share the level of crime associated with larger centres. Violent crime is nearly unheard of here, however petty crime is a minor problem in the downtown core, especially in the Gold Range Hotel area which is frequented by loiterers.

What is the largest city in the Northwest Territories?

Yellowknife

Are there polar bears in Northwest Territories?

The majority of bears live on sea ice around Canada's Arctic Islands. The Northwest Territories (NWT) shares three sub-populations of polar bears with neighbouring jurisdictions. These are: Northern Beaufort Sea, ~1200 bears.

Why was the Northwest Territory acquired?

The region was ceded to the United States in the Treaty of Paris of 1783. Conflicts between settlers and Native American inhabitants of the Territory resulted in the Northwest Indian War culminating in General "Mad" Anthony Wayne's victory at Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794.

What does the Northwest Territories produce?

The NWT's geological resources include gold, diamonds, natural gas and petroleum. British Petroleum (BP) is the only oil company currently producing oil in the Territory. NWT diamonds are promoted as an alternative to purchasing blood diamonds.