What is the difference between the northwest territories and the yukon

At that time, the Northwest Territories included all of the Yukon, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and huge parts of other provinces. Tens of thousands of people flocked to the Yukon in a matter of months, giving birth to Dawson City in northern Yukon, Whitehorse later the capital in south-central Yukon, and a dozen other tent communities, many of which eventually went bust along with the gold veins.

With its new wealth and population, the Yukon split off from the rest of the Northwest Territories in The Northwest Territories didn't receive its own elected government until , when the center of government was moved from Ottawa to the new territorial capital of Yellowknife and a representative assembly was elected.

In , the eastern section of the Northwest Territories, almost 2 million sq. The rest of the pre-Nunavut Northwest Territories -- 1. Book Hotels. Regions Nunavut.

Cities Dawson Inuvik Whitehorse Yellowknife. Frommer's Montreal day by day Buy Now. Get Inspired for Your Next Vacation. Oil and gas exploration and development in the Mackenzie River valley and offshore in the Beaufort Sea are also becoming important.

The NWT has recently become home to a growing diamond industry as well, boosted by concerns about conflict diamonds from some other areas of the world. Though the city remains small, the rapid growth of Yellowknife is bringing with it a more advanced service economy with a variety of opportunities.

Though the boom is being managed carefully, the city is experiencing an influx of investment and people. Recent surveys indicate Yellowknife has the 3rd fastest growing economy in Canada, following only Vancouver and Toronto. A large portion to the Northwest Territories population continues to rely on the Aboriginal peoples' traditional subsistence activities; fishing, hunting and trapping.

Fur harvesting continues to be very important, supplementing the income of many Aboriginal families. Development, while necessary for economic prosperity, is being carefully managed so as not to threaten the fragile Arctic ecosystem and the traditional lifestyles of the northern peoples. The geographic and climatic realities of life in the Northwest Territories can make the cost of living fairly high. Because of the higher transportation costs, many day-to-day items cost more than they would in major Canadian cities.

Compensation, however, is higher in the NWT in order to offset the higher cost of living. In order to attract skilled workers, employers will often pay a bonus or supplement in order to entice individuals to move northward to the NWT.

Housing in the NWT is often more expensive than the Canadian average, due to the costs associated with building structures capable of withstanding the cold climate. In Canada, all citizens and permanent residents under the age of 20 are entitled to free education through the end of high school through the public school system.

Despite the small population, the Northwest Territories has a comprehensive and first-rate public education system that covers a child from early childhood programs through Grade The main school system is also augmented by apprenticeship programs and other training programs to prepare young people for careers.

The schooling system is designed to meet the needs of indigenous communities as well as the general Canadian public. The programs are directed specifically to the northern environment and the needs of individual learners, the workforce and northern communities.

Health care is considered a basic right in Canada. Under the guidelines of the Canada Health Act, the NWT ensures that all residents have access to medically necessary hospital and physician services based on need, not on ability to pay.

The NWT also provides a range of services beyond the Act's basic provisions. The initial borders of the Northwest Territories covered a major portion of present-day Canada. Prior to , the territory was under the control of the Hudson's Bay Company, at which point it was transferred to the newly-formed Government of Canada. Over time the territory was parceled off to form many of the provinces and territories today west of Ontario, beginning with Manitoba in and continuing to the creation of the Nunavut territory in Even after all of this loss of territory the Northwest Territories remains a vast territory extending over a large portion of the Arctic.

The changes in borders over the years have reshaped the NWT on a number of occasions. With the removal of populations to form or join other provinces, the character of the NWT evolved to become identified more closely with a Northern and indigenous identity. This frontier history has left a strong mark on the NWT, helping to define its unique modern-day culture. The culture of the Northwest Territories identifies strongly with the region's aboriginal traditions.

The descendants of the original Inuit inhabitants keep alive many of the languages and cultural practices of their ancestors. The NWT has eight official languages, with six aboriginal languages in addition to English and French. These traditional cultural elements are fused together in the Northwest Territories with modern Canadian culture to form a unique blend that is well appreciated by visitors to the territory.

Alongside the more traditional culture, Yellowknife is a growing modern city. One can find there many of the same stores, entertainment and other cultural elements you would find in any other Canadian city.

However its Northern location and relative isolation give Yellowknife a strong community feel and a distinct character. The population of the Northwest Territories has fluctuated significantly over the years with shifting borders and natural resource booms. The vast territory is now home to more than 43, people. Just under half of these individuals live in the capital city of Yellowknife, while the remainder are dispersed into much smaller settlements.

Nearly half of the residents of the NWT are of aboriginal descent. Combined these communities give a strong indigenous character to the territory. In Yellowknife however, one finds a mixed community much more characteristic of the rest of Canada.

With its small population, the Northwest Territories is not a major recipient of new immigrants in large numbers. Nonetheless, the Northwest Territories, like the rest of Canada, has been shaped strongly by the contributions of immigrants to the territory. Immigration to the province today is mainly to the capital city of Yellowknife.

With the city's economy booming thanks to natural resources, individuals are moving to Yellowknife to take advantage of economic opportunities. The strongest growth area is in diamond mining, followed closely by the oil and gas industry. As a territory rather than a province, the Government of the Northwest Territories has a smaller jurisdiction than its provincial counterparts in Canadian confederation.

The Northwest Territories does have elected representation in both houses of Canada's federal parliament as well as its own democratically-elected legislative assembly. There are 19 representatives in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories located in the capital of Yellowknife. The territory has been led by Premier Robert R. The economic and political capital of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife is home to approximately 20, people. With the growth of the diamond industry, new arrivals continue to flow into the town and add a level of energy and excitement to the city.

With recent booms in the industry, unemployment in the city has fallen to an all-time low. As the capital city, government, along with the diamond industry, are the two major employers of Yellowknife.

The city of Yellowknife is mixed and multicultural with representation from the various aboriginal communities in the region. Nunavut's economy is centered around the area's natural resources. Much of the Inuit majority of the territory maintains strong ties to the land and their livelihoods are then based on their traditional harvesting methods. Supplementing these traditions are new opportunities, which are rapidly transforming the economy and creating many new jobs in Nunavut.

Mineral exploration, focusing on gold, diamond, and base metal deposits, is a growing industry in Nunavut. Additionally, fishing, tourism, and Nunavut's oil and gas reserves provide important and growing contributions to the territory's economy. Due to the challenges of vast distances, a small but growing population, the high cost of materials and labour, and extreme climate make it costly to maintain Canada's high standards of living in Nunavut.

Residents must cope with a cost of living that can be significantly higher than many other places in Canada. In addition, the federal government takes a number of initiatives to compensate for the high cost of goods and services in Nunavut to ensure that its residents can enjoy the same standard of living that is available to all Canadians.

In Canada, all citizens and permanent residents under the age of 20 are entitled to a free education provided in the public education system through to the end of secondary school.

Nunavut's department of education provides a comprehensive educational program that runs from early childhood education through Grade Schooling is available in English, French and Inuktitut. The system also provides a number of programs aimed at developing skills geared towards finding employment and contributing to the economy. Nunavut has one post secondary institution, Nunavut Arctic College, with campuses in Iqualuit and other areas. The college offers a number of professional and academic programs in Inuktitut and English.

Though the people migrated to the area for trading fur and other goods, soon gold miners did follow and the whole demography started to change hence. The population did grow exponentially and so did the need of jurisdiction over law and order. Citing that, in , Yukon was separated from other Northwest Territories and hence, Yukon was established.

Economy: From the economical point of view, the history presents Yukon as the land of mining which included mining of lead, zinc, silver and other metals. As the mining industry began developing, other industries also flourished during the time, and manufacturing of furniture, clothing, handicraft etc. In a recent event, the Business Corporation Act was also modified in order to attract even more benefits and to bring more participants into the mixture. With the potential to be a major economic centre, Yukon also has its share of natural beauty which has built a strong foundation in the field of tourism.

Tourism industry of Yukon: With the platform to perform any kind of outdoor activity amidst the natural beauty, the tourism industry also is a prime focus when we want to talk about Yukon. Be it hunting, skiing, snowboarding or ice climbing, you will definitely get a chance to enjoy an activity you always wanted to.

With rich flora and fauna, the national parks and other wildlife areas have attracted the visitors for years. Places to Explore in Yukon: While in Yukon, you get a chance to explore a variety of places, including:. Nunavut is the newest and also the largest territory in the northern part of Canada. It was separated from Northwest Territories on April 1, through the Nunavut Act which brought a major change to the political map of Canada.

It is a remote place which has no access via road or rail. Hence, air and water are the only routes through which one can reach Nunavut and its remote islands. Not sure if you are eligible for eTA?