Yukon Territory, Yukon Territory, Canada

Facts & Statistics
Place Name	Yukon Territory
Place Status (Type)	territory
Population	27,797 (1991)
Location	Yukon Territory, Canada, North America
Latitude	63°00'N
Longitude	136°00'W

Yukon Territory ( 207,076 sq mi/536,327 sq km; 1991 pop. 27,797), NW Canada, and largest town Whitehorse; 63°00'N 136°00'W. Next in importance is Dawson. The triangle-shaped territory is bordered on the N by the Beaufort Sea of the Arctic Ocean, on the E by the Fort Smith and Inuvik regions, N.W.T., on the S by B.C. and Alaska, and on the W by Alaska. The highest point in the Yukon is Mt. Logan, 19,850 ft/6,050 m) high, part of the Coast Ranges in the SW. Although most of the territory is a watershed for the Yukon R. and its tributaries, the N and SE regions drain into the Mackenzie R. system. Immediately S of the desolate arctic coast the country is uninhabited and generally unknown. The other parts of the territory have great natural beauty, with snow-fed lakes backed by perpetually white-capped mts. and forests and streams abounding with wildlife. Winters are long and cold, with low humidity. During the short summers the longer days and surprisingly warm sun bring a profusion of wildflowers and enable the hardier grains and vegetables to mature. The few settlements are situated on the riverbanks. Transportation facilities are limited, and for many years the Yukon R. system was the main artery. The White Pass and Yukon RR from Whitehorse to Skagway, Alaska (AK), was constructed during the Klondike gold rush of the 1890s, but was shut down in 1982. Air transportation now plays a vital role, and there is an internatl. airport at Whitehorse. The Alaska Highway and other all-weather roads have been built since World War II. There are hydroelectric facilities at Whitehorse, Aishihik, and Mayo. The leading industry by far in the territory is mining; lead, zinc, silver, gold, and copper are the principal minerals. Tourism is the 2d most-important industry, where the area's colorful history and beautiful scenery draw over 500,000 visitors per year. Mfg. is steadily increasing in importance, with prods. such as furniture, apparel, and handicrafts. Fishing is relatively unimportant. Trapping is the oldest industry but has declined in recent decades. The territory's history began with the explorations in the 1840s of Robert Campbell and John Bell, fur traders for the Hudson's Bay Co. Several trading posts were built on the Yukon R., and before long prospectors began to search for treasure. After the famous gold strikes in the Klondike R. region in the 1890s more than 30,000 people pushed across the icy barriers in search of gold. This colorful period has been recorded in the writings of Robert Service and Jack London. The Can. govt. acquired the Yukon from the Hudson's Bay Company in 1870 and administered it as part of the N.W.T. To meet the need for local govt. created by the influx of gold prospectors, the Yukon was made a separate dist. (1895) and then a separate territory (1898) with Dawson as capital. Whitehorse became the capital in 1952. The govt. consists of a federally appointed commissioner, an elected legislative assembly of 14 members, and a 5-member cabinet appointed by the majority party of the assembly. The territory sends 1 senator and 1 representative to the natl. parliament. Native land claims and the desire for provincial status are 2 issues that have dominated provincial politics in the Yukon in recent years. The land claim by the Yukon, a tribe of about 7,000 Native Americans, was approved by the federal govt. in 1991. Kluane Natl. Park (est. 1972) is in the St. Elias Mts.