Yukon
Territory of Canada / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Yukon (/ˈjuːkɒn/ ⓘ; French: [jykɔ̃]; formerly called Yukon Territory and referred to as the Yukon)[9] is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 44,412 as of March 2023. Whitehorse, the territorial capital, is the largest settlement in any of the three territories.[10]
Yukon | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates: 63°N 135°W[1] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Confederation | June 13, 1898 (9th) |
| Capital (and largest city) | Whitehorse |
| Largest metro | Whitehorse |
| Government | |
| • Type | Parliamentary system |
| • Commissioner | Adeline Webber |
| • Premier | Ranj Pillai |
| Legislature | Yukon Legislative Assembly |
| Federal representation | Parliament of Canada |
| House seats | 1 of 338 (0.3%) |
| Senate seats | 1 of 105 (1%) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 482,443 km2 (186,272 sq mi) |
| • Land | 474,391 km2 (183,163 sq mi) |
| • Water | 8,052 km2 (3,109 sq mi) 1.7% |
| • Rank | 9th |
| 4.8% of Canada | |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Total | 40,232[3] |
| • Estimate (Q2 2023) | 44,412[4] |
| • Rank | 12th |
| • Density | 0.08/km2 (0.2/sq mi) |
| Demonyms | Yukoner FR: Yukonnais(e) |
| Official languages | |
| GDP | |
| • Rank | 13th |
| • Total (2017) | C$3.089 billion[6] |
| • Per capita | C$75,141 (3rd) |
| HDI | |
| • HDI (2019) | 0.924[7] — Very high (5th) |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 |
| Canadian postal abbr. | YT |
| Postal code prefix | |
| ISO 3166 code | CA-YT |
| Flower | Fireweed |
| Tree | Subalpine fir[8] |
| Bird | Common raven |
| Rankings include all provinces and territories | |
Yukon was split from the Northwest Territories in 1898 as the Yukon Territory. The federal government's Yukon Act, which received royal assent on March 27, 2002, established "Yukon" as the territory's official name, although Yukon Territory remains in popular usage. Canada Post uses the territory's internationally approved postal abbreviation of YT.[11][9] In 2021, territorial government policy was changed so that "The Yukon" would be recommended for use in official territorial government materials.[12]
Although officially bilingual (English and French), the Yukon government recognizes First Nations languages.
At 5,959 m (19,551 ft), Yukon's Mount Logan, in Kluane National Park and Reserve, is the highest mountain in Canada and the second-highest on the North American continent (after Denali in the U.S. state of Alaska). Most of the Yukon has a subarctic climate, characterized by long, cold winters and brief, warm summers. The coastal area along the Arctic Ocean has a tundra climate.
Notable rivers include the Yukon, Pelly, Stewart, Peel, White, Liard, and Tatshenshini.