Northwest Territories, Canada

by | August 1, 2022

East of the Yukon Territory are the Northwest Territories. In addition to the mainland, they also include part of the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The Northwest Territories is known for its diamond deposits and contains four of the largest kimberlite pipes in the country. This region is considered one of the world’s largest diamond mining and processing regions. In addition to English and French, the Northwest Territories also has 9 official languages of the indigenous peoples of northern Canada, because these peoples make up about 40% of the inhabitants of the region.

According to Health VV, the capital of the Northwest Territories is the city of Yellowknife . It is located on the northern shore of the Great Slave Lake. yellowknife called the “diamond” capital of North America. One of the country’s first diamond quarries is located 300 km north of it. Entire “diamond tours” are arranged from Yellowknife. During the winter, Yellowknife is home to the mesmerizing Northern Lights. In the center of the city there is a high hill with an observation platform from where you can see the city, its environs and the Great Slave Lake. The lake is the main attraction of these places. It is the deepest lake in North America (614 m deep) and the second largest in Canada. The northern arm of the lake, where the capital of the Northwest Territories is located, is a great place to fish, and the eastern arm is a great place to travel. by boat, there are numerous islands, rocks and cliffs. The longest river in the country flows out of the Great Slave Lake – the Mackenzie River (4241 km). The Mackenzie River is one of the most accessible and one of the easiest rivers for rafting. Also above the valley of the Mackenzie River passes an important path along which migrating birds take place in spring and autumn. In the spring, birds from the southern parts of North America travel north to breed, and return in the fall. Also a wide variety of birds can be seen near the lakes. 46 km north of Yellowknife, the Cameron Falls are interesting, over which a bridge has been laid. In addition, the Mackenzie Buffalo Sanctuary is located near the city, where a herd of 2,000 bison is protected.

500 km west Yellowknife is located in Nahanni National Park. The Mackenzie River flows through the park, but its main attraction is the South Nahanni River, along which one of the deepest canyon systems in the world stretches. In total, there are 4 canyons with a length of 80 km. West of Nahanni Park along the Mackenzie Highway is Falls Road. It begins on the border between the Northwest Territories and Alberta and is 400 km long. There are campsites along the entire route. Each waterfall can be reached by car or bus. On the southern border of the Northwest Territories, Wood Buffalo National Park is worth a visit.

North of the Great Slave Lake, up to the eastern border of the territories, the so-called Lake District extends, which is perfect for summer trips by boats and canoes and for fishing. The Lake District in the north rests on the Big Bear Lake. This is the largest lake in the country, the area of ​​its mirror is approximately 31153 square meters. km. The Arctic Circle runs along the northern part of the lake. The Sakhtu Indians settle along the shores of the lake, and you can learn about their culture in the city of Deline. The city is located on the west coast and is the only major settlement on the shores of the lake.

In the northern part of the Northwest Territories, beyond the Arctic Circle, there are two national parks. It is worth noting that these are rather “young” parks and the infrastructure is practically not developed here: there are no places for tourists in the parks and there are no specially equipped hiking trails. But this is what attracts tourists here who want to relax in the natural conditions of the far north. Tuktut Nogait National Park is located 830 km northwest of Yellowknife. on the Arctic coast and covers an area of 16340 sq. km. Herds of the so-called “blue-nosed” reindeer live here, on which the life of the local population still depends, wolves, grizzly bears, musk oxen, as well as many birds of prey. Arctic grayling and salmon are found in the local rivers and lakes. The most popular forms of tourism in the park are hiking, animal and bird watching, and fishing. Of the natural attractions, one can single out the La Roncière Falls, the Pillar Canyon on the Hornaday River, as well as permafrost landforms – heaving mounds, which were formed as a result of freezing of highly moistened rock strata and an increase in their volume due to local accumulation of ice. The heights of such hills reach several tens of meters. Aulavik National Parkis located on the northern coast of Banks Island and occupies approximately 1/5 of its territory. Banks Island is the westernmost of the islands in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The park was founded in 1992, its area is 12274 sq. km. You can get to the park only by plane from the city of Inuvik, which is located in the Mackenzie River Delta. Aulawik Park is one of the few places in Canada where you can see icebergs. In the center of the park flows the Thomsen River – one of the northernmost navigable rivers in the world. The park offers rafting, hiking, and bird and wildlife watching. The island is inhabited by a population of about 80,000 musk oxen, arctic foxes, wolves and hares, rare deer – Piri caribou, stoats and lemmings, and sometimes polar bears. Sea hares, sea hares and beluga live in coastal waters. Of the birds, peregrine falcons, gyrfalcons, buzzards and snowy owls are common. The park also contains many historical sites associated with ancient peoples who began to settle on the island about 4000 years ago.

Northwest Territories, Canada