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Nunavut

Hamlet of Pond Inlet on Baffin Island, Nunavut | Photo: Isaac Demeester, Unsplash

Hamlet of Pond Inlet on Baffin Island, Nunavut

Introduction to Nunavut

Nunavut (NU) means "our land" in Inuktitut. It is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada, separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999. Nunavut is one of the most remote, sparsely settled regions in the world and home to the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world. Settlements are very small and clustered mainly along the coasts.

Most of the territory is above the northern tree growth. Much of the islands north of the mainland are permanently covered in snow and ice.

Nunavut is governed by a Legislative Assembly of 19 elected members. The members choose a government leader, speaker of the house and eight ministers by consensus. There are 10 departments with offices in nine different communities. Each community has a hamlet office, which is responsible for municipal government activities.

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Did you know?

  • Mighty Polar Bear
  • Inukshuk
    Inukshuk | Photo: Isaac Demeester, Unsplash

    Do you know what an Inukshuk is? Inukshuks are stacked stones that are balanced and fit together without cement. They were used for navigation or to mark sacred places. Inukshuks that resemble a human are actually called inunnguaq, which means "imitation of a person" and may also signpost a good hunting or fishing spot.

  • Ice Floe

Nunavut Trivia

Flag
Coat of arms
Symbols
Flower is Purple Saxifraga
Bird is Rock Ptarmigan

Nicknames
The Land of the Midnight Sun

Territorial slogan
Our Land, Our Strength

License plate slogan
Explore Canada's Arctic (1999)

News
CBC North | CBC Nunavut | Nunatsiaq News

Other resources
Books about Nunavut
Finding True North blog
North to Nunvut blog
Readers Digest: Life in Nunavut
Travel Blog Nunavut
Travel Nunavut blog

Nunavut Facts

Date NU became a territory

April 1, 1999

Area of NU

2,093,190 sq km (808,185 sq miles)
(Natural Resources Canada, 2001)

Nunavut makes up 20% of Canada's land mass and 67% of its coastline. It includes islands in Hudson Bay, James Bay and Ungava Bay.

Topography

Nunavut has two distinct geological regions: the Canadian Shield (mainland and islands around Hudson Bay) and the Arctic Archipelago (islands) in the north. The mainland is almost untouched wilderness, and tundra changes into cliffs and plateaus along the Northwest Passage. The Arctic islands are surrounded by pack ice almost year round, and the region extends to glaciers, jagged mountains and fjords of Baffin and Ellesmere Islands.

Capital city of NU

Iqaluit

Population of NU

36,858 (Statistics Canada, 2021 Census). Nunavut has the highest birthrate at 25 per 1000 and 51% of the population is under 25 years of age.

Residents are known as

Nunavummiut (plural)
Nunavummiuq (singular)

Indigenous people of NU

85% Inuit

Main NU industries

Mining, resource development, tourism, arts and crafts

NU statutory holidays (in addition to national holidays)

Nunavut Day, July 9
Civic Day (first Monday in August)
 

Nunavut 775px

Climate

Nunavut is entirely within the Arctic climatic zone with bitterly cold winters and cool to cold summers. See Iqaluit on the Weather Network for more information.
 

Time zone

Nunavut has three time zones and observes daylight savings time.

Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) in Cambridge Bay

Central Daylight Time (CDT) in Baker Lake

Eastern Standard Time (EST) in Coral Harbour
 

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