NWT Quick Facts
QUICK FACTS
Location
Beginning at the 60th Parallel, the Northwest Territories stretches north from the BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan borders all the way to the Arctic Ocean and the High Arctic Islands. East to West, it spans the distance from the Nunavut boundary along the treeline to the Mackenzie Mountains and the Yukon border.
Area
At aprox. 1,352,00 sq km (850,000 sq mi), the Northwest Territories is the second largest Canadian Territory — approximately the size of Texas or Saskatchewan and Alberta combined.
Time Zone
Mountain Standard
Capital City
Yellowknife
Population
About 41,400 people, living in 33 communities. Over half of the population in the NWT are Aboriginal. The population in the capital city, Yellowknife, is approximately 20,000 and it continues to grow.
Weather
The NWT has a relatively dry, cold climate, with long winters and warm, brief summers drenched in sunlight. Temperatures can range from highs of 35ºC in summer to minus 45ºC in winter.
Hours of Daylight
Hours of sunlight and darkness vary widely with the seasons, becoming more extreme as you travel north. In addition to the stated hours of sunlight, all locations experience additional periods of daylight prior to sunrise and sunset; to the extent that around the Yellowknife area, in June and July, it is light enough to fish all night!
|
Typical hours of daylight for selected NWT communities: |
||
|
|
June 21st |
December 21st |
|
Fort Smith |
18 |
9 |
Official Languages
Chipewyan, Cree, Dogrib, Gwich'in, Inuktitut (Inuvialuktun and Inuinnaqtun), North and South Slavey, French, and English. Official languages Map of the Northwest Territories download
