Nunavut

Nunavut is the largest and newest territory of Canada, covering much of the Canadian Arctic. Its capital is Iqaluit. Created as a homeland for the Inuit, it is a vast, remote region of tundra, ice and Arctic islands with a deeply rooted Indigenous culture.

Nunavut encompasses the central and eastern Arctic, including most of the Arctic Archipelago, with frozen seas, tundra, fjords and ice caps. It is enormous yet has only a tiny population in scattered communities. The climate is Arctic, with extreme cold and the midnight sun in summer.

Nunavut is overwhelmingly Inuit, and Inuktitut is widely spoken alongside English and French. Traditional skills of hunting, carving and storytelling remain central, and the territory blends ancient culture with modern self-government.

The Inuit and their ancestors have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years. After decades of advocacy, Nunavut was separated from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, becoming a territory governed in partnership with the Inuit.

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