The North

Photo of the north

Canada's north is a vast area, the three territories alone, Nunavut, Yukon and Northwest Territories, encompass approximately 40% of the total area of Canada. The northern regions of the provinces, which are north of the limit of isolated permafrost, also include the seven provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. Combined the territories and the northern portions of these provinces represent, just less than two-thirds of Canada's landmass. The presence of permafrost is just one of many ways of demarcating the northern region of Canada, as it provides a natural boundary between northern and southern Canada.

It is an area of varying contrasts, from the taiga (boreal) forests of the subarctic region, to the tundra, permafrost and barren landscape of snow and ice of the Arctic. Most of the population live in isolated communities, scattered across the region with the majority of the population living in the territorial capitals. Fifty-percent of the population in the three territories claim Aboriginal ancestry according to the 2006 Census of Population.

List of Topics:

Reference

Northern Canada [Bilingual] (2012)

North Circumpolar Region [Bilingual] (2008)

International Map of the World, Canadian Sector, 1956 to 1987:

Macmillan River NP-7/8/9

Redstone River NP-9/10

Slave River NP-11/12

Lockhart River NP-12/13

Dubawnt River NP-13/14

Maguse River NP-15/16

Sutton River NP-16/17

Rivière Kovic NP-17/18

Soper River NP-19/20

Peel River NQ-7/8/9

Great Bear River NQ-9/10/11/12

Thelon River NQ-12/13/14

Quoich River NQ-15/16/17

Koukdjuak River NQ-17/18/19/20

Davis Strait NQ-20/21/22

Firth River NR-7/8/9

Horton River NR-9/10/11/12

Victoria Strait NR-12/13/14

Murchison River NR-15/16/17

Rowley River NR-17/18/19/20

Thomsen River NS-9/10/11/12

Viscount Melville Sound NS-12/13/14

Lancaster Sound NS-15/16/17

Eclipse Sound NS-17/18/19/20

Ballantyne Strait NT-8/9/10/11/12

Belcher Channel NT-12/13/14/15/16

Jones Sound NT-16/17/18/19/20

Robeson Channel NU-14/15/16/17/18/19/20

Baie d'Ungava – Ungava Bay No-19

Torngat Mountains – Monts Torngat NO-20

James Bay – Baie James NN-17

Physical Geography

Borderlands: Arctic Physiographic Regions, 1967

This map shows the location of the Arctic physiographic regions which include the Innuitian Region, the Arctic Lowlands and the Arctic Coastal Plains.

Break-up of Sea Ice (2002)

The typical retreat of the sea ice cover from the late winter to late summer is shown on this map. Sea ice is any form of ice that is found at sea and has originated from the freezing of seawater. Melting of sea ice begins in spring in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and East Newfoundland, retreating northward towards the Labrador coast. In June openings appear in Baffin Bay and the Beaufort Sea, while clearing is already underway in Hudson Bay. Break-up continues throughout the summer months, reaching a minimum extent around mid-September. The map shows the typical retreat of the sea ice cover from late winter (mid-March) to late summer (mid-September) on a bi-weekly basis. The dates shown in the legend of the map indicate the extent of the sea ice cover at those dates.

Freeze-up of Sea Ice (2002)

Typical advance of sea ice over from late summer to late winter is shown on this map. Sea ice is any form of ice that is found at sea and has originated from the freezing of seawater. Formation of sea ice begins in mid-September in the Canadian Arctic and advances southward through the onset of winter. Sea ice begins to form in the St. Lawrence estuary around the first of January, and advances from coastal inlets into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Sea ice in Canada normally reaches a maximum extent at the beginning of March. The map shows the typical advance of the sea ice cover from late summer (mid-September) to late winter (mid-March). The dates shown in the legend of the map indicate the extent of the sea ice cover at those dates.

Late Summer Sea Ice Conditions (2002)

Typical sea ice types are shown here at the end of the summer melt season, as well as how often sea ice has been present at any location on September 10 over the last 30 years . Based on the observations of sea ice extent and types over the last 30 years, this map shows how frequently sea ice has been present and what is the most likely predominant ice type and where. Sea ice is any form of ice that is found at sea and has originated from the freezing of seawater. The ice type gives an indication of the thickness of sea ice such as new ice, grey ice, grey-white ice, first year ice, and old ice. Ice represents a danger for navigation. Information on sea ice is essential in estimating transportation costs, and what type of vessel is appropriate. This map shows the typical sea ice types at the end of the summer melt season (September 10) as well as frequency of sea ice on that date. The frequency of sea ice indicates how often sea ice has been present on September 10 over the last 30 years.

Late Winter Sea Ice Conditions (2002)

Typical sea ice types are shown here near the end of the winter season. Also shown is how often sea ice has been present at any location on the 26th February over the last 30 years. Based on the observations of sea ice extents and ice types over the last 30 years, this map shows how frequently sea ice has been present and what is the most likely predominant ice type and where. Sea ice is any form of ice that is found at sea and has originated from the freezing of seawater. The ice type gives an indication of the thickness of sea ice such as new ice, grey ice, grey-white ice, first year ice, and old ice. Ice represents a danger for navigation. Information on sea ice is essential in estimating transportation costs, and what type of vessel is appropriate. The map shows the typical sea ice types near the end of the winter season (February 26) and as well as frequency of sea ice on that date. The frequency of sea ice indicates how often sea ice has been present on February 26 over the last 30 years.

Permafrost (1995)

Glaciers (1985)

Bathy-orography – Northern Canada (1957)

Protected Areas, 2008

Protected areas are composed of land, freshwater and marine areas set aside through legislation to protect representative examples of Canada’s ecosystems. They are created and managed by the federal, provincial and territorial governments. A small but increasing number is also administered by Aboriginal governments and communities. Some protected areas are jointly managed by two or more administrations. While this map focuses on public and aboriginal protected areas, an increasing number of private lands are conserved by non-government organizations, such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Federal, provincial or territorial and Aboriginal protected areas are grouped separately on this map to show their distribution throughout Canada in 2007. This map shows only the 1385 protected areas which are 10 square kilometres or larger.

History

Exploration of the Arctic; Exploratory Route Surveys (1974)

Development of Northern Settlements (1965)