Yukon
Yukon (/ˈjuːkɒn/ (listen) YOO-kon; French: [jykɔ̃]; formerly called Yukon Territory and sometimes referred to as The Yukon[7]) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 40,232 people as of the 2021 Census. Whitehorse, the territorial capital, is the largest settlement in any of the three territories.[8]
Yukon | |
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Coordinates: 63°00′00″N 135°00′00″W | |
Country | Canada |
Confederation | June 13, 1898 (9th) |
Capital (and largest city) | Whitehorse |
Largest metro | Whitehorse |
Government | |
• Commissioner | Angélique Bernard |
• Premier | Sandy Silver |
Legislature | Yukon Legislative Assembly |
Federal representation | Parliament of Canada |
House seats | 1 of 338 (0.3%) |
Senate seats | 1 of 105 (1%) |
Area | |
• Total | 482,443 km2 (186,272 sq mi) |
• Land | 474,391 km2 (183,163 sq mi) |
• Water | 8,052 km2 (3,109 sq mi) 1.7% |
• Rank | 9th |
4.8% of Canada | |
Population (2021) | |
• Total | 40,232 [1] |
• Estimate (Q1 2022) | 42,982 [2] |
• Rank | 12th |
• Density | 0.08/km2 (0.2/sq mi) |
Demonym(s) | Yukoner FR: Yukonnais(e) |
Official languages |
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GDP | |
• Rank | 13th |
• Total (2017) | C$3.089 billion[4] |
• Per capita | C$75,141 (3rd) |
HDI | |
• HDI (2018) | 0.908[5] — Very high (5th) |
Time zone | UTC−07:00 |
Canadian postal abbr. | YT |
Postal code prefix | |
ISO 3166 code | CA-YT |
Flower | Fireweed |
Tree | Subalpine fir[6] |
Bird | Common raven |
Rankings include all provinces and territories |
Yukon was split from the North-West Territories in 1898 as the Yukon Territory. The federal government's Yukon Act, which received royal assent on March 27, 2002, established Yukon as the territory's official name,[7] though Yukon Territory is also still popular in usage and Canada Post continues to use the territory's internationally approved postal abbreviation of YT.[9] In 2021, territorial government policy was changed so that “The Yukon” would be recommended for use in official territorial government materials.[10]
Though officially bilingual (English and French), the Yukon government also recognizes First Nations languages.
At 5,959 m (19,551 ft), Yukon's Mount Logan, in Kluane National Park and Reserve, is the highest mountain in Canada and the second-highest on the North American continent (after Denali in the U.S. state of Alaska). Most of the Yukon has a subarctic climate, characterized by long, cold winters and brief, warm summers. The Arctic Ocean coast has a tundra climate.
Notable rivers include the Yukon River as well as the Pelly, Stewart, Peel, White, Liard, and Tatshenshini rivers.