Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories is a vast, sparsely populated territory in northern Canada, a land of immense lakes, boreal forest and Arctic tundra. Its capital is Yellowknife. Rich in minerals and natural beauty, it is renowned for the northern lights and a strong Indigenous presence.

The territory spans the Mackenzie River basin, Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake, two of the largest lakes in the world, stretching from subarctic forest to Arctic islands. The climate is subarctic to Arctic, with long, frigid winters and brief summers.

The Northwest Territories has a large Indigenous population, including Dene, Inuvialuit and Metis peoples, whose languages and traditions are central to its identity. Life is shaped by the land, the seasons and a frontier sense of community.

Inhabited for thousands of years by Indigenous peoples, the region was a fur-trade frontier and once covered most of northern and western Canada before being divided. Diamond discoveries in the 1990s reshaped its economy. Nunavut was carved from it in 1999.

This overview is AI-assisted and grounded with available atlas facts and reference material. Treat linked primary data as authoritative. Read the methodology.