Natural Resources Canada

In 2003, the average prose literacy score for the Canadian population age 16 and over was 272 on a scale ranging from 0 to 500. Prose literacy is defined as the skills needed to understand and use information from texts. The average prose literacy scores were above the national average in the...

A drainage basin is the area that drains all precipitation into a river or stream system into a common outlet such as a lake or sea. There are two main river basins in Nunavut: the Thelon River flows into Hudson Bay and the Back River empties into the Arctic Ocean. Most of Nunavut’s area is not...

A geological province is an extensive region characterized by rocks and structures of varying types and ages. Canada has seventeen geological provinces consisting of a shield, platforms, orogens and continental shelves. Nunavut includes four of the geological provinces: Innuitian Orogen, Arctic...

Nunavut’s cold climate makes it a territory consisting of mostly barren land and permafrost. Permafrost is soil or rocks whose temperature remains at or below the freezing point for a long period of time. Glaciers, a mass of snow and ice that does not melt from year to year prevail in the...

Nunavut lies in the Arctic, where cold temperatures mean that snow can fall at anytime in the year. Typically the ground is snow covered from September until June. Most of Nunavut has a dry Arctic climate receiving less than 200 centimetres of snow annually.

Surficial Materials are unconsolidated earth deposits of various origins. This map shows the distribution of surficial materials in Nunavut, on land and in extensive offshore areas.

Ecozones are one of several levels of ecological regions that cover all of Canada. An ecozone is a discrete system, which has resulted from the mesh and interplay of geology, landform, soil, vegetation, climate, wildlife, water and human factors. Four of the fifteen terrestrial ecozones of Canada...

Canada may be divided into six broad Aboriginal cultural areas based on major geographic regions. Tribes in the same region share a greater number of cultural affinities than tribes from different regions. However only in the Arctic do the lines of geography, language and culture coincide so...

Nunavut’s 26 000 inhabitants live in 28 communities widely scattered across 2 million square kilometres. All communities are accessible by air and by sea. The Inuit have occupied the region for thousands of years and form almost 85 percent of the current population. Their language, Inuktitut is...

Outstanding rivers of natural, cultural historical, and recreational values are insured long-term management and conservation by the Canada Heritage Rivers System (CHRS). Three of Canada’s 28 Heritage Rivers flow in Nunavut: the Thelon, Kazan, and Soper rivers. These rivers reflect the physical...

Bird sanctuaries areas of importance for the protection of migratory birds, their nests, and eggs. Nunavut has an abundance of sites favourable to the migratory habits of several bird species.

National Historic Sites and their associated artefacts are preserved to promote an appreciation of historic places, people, and events and their contribution to the Canadian identity. There are eleven national historic sites in Nunavut. The first designated historic sites in Nunavut recognized...

The Government of Canada’s objective is to have a park representing each of Canada’s 39 natural regions. Nunavut has three National Parks. Public appreciation and enjoyment through education are encouraged as long as they do not affect the ecological integrity of the park.

National Wildlife Areas conserve essential wildlife habitats. There are two National Wildlife Areas in Nunavut: Nirjutiqavvik and Polar Bear Pass. While most human activities are prohibited, permits can be issued for activities that are compatible with conservation.

In 1999 there are two operational mines in Nunavut: the Polaris and Nanisivik mines. The Polaris zinc-lead mine located on Little Cornwallis Island, is the most northerly mine in the world. The principal elements it extracts are zinc, lead and calcium. The Nanisivik zinc-lead-silver mine is...

Nunavut’s mineral potential is substantial, which is why large and small companies are investing millions of dollars for prospecting and exploration in the volcanic and metamorphic rock of the Canadian Shield, particularly for gold, and more recently diamonds. This map locates the main...

In Nunavut, aircrafts are the ideal form of transportation for people because of the enormous distances between communities and vast areas of permafrost. Air transportation has developed rapidly, and now all communities are served on a daily basis. This contributes to Nunavut’s economy because it...

Shipping remains the most important mode of transportation for goods even though navigation is possible only four months of the year during the ice-free period. The re-supply of oil and other basic products from the south is done mostly by sea. The mining and fishing industries also use shipping.

The majority of the Canadian population, about 60% is concentrated within a thin belt of land representing 2.2% of the land between Windsor, Ontario and Quebec City. Even though Canada is the second largest country in the world in terms of land area, it only ranks 33rd in terms of population. The...

Even though Canada is the second largest country in the world in terms of land area, it ranks 33rd in terms of population. Almost all of Canada’s population is concentrated in a narrow band along the country’s southern edge. Nearly 80% of the total population lives within the 25 major...