Nunavut, vast territory
of northern Canada that stretches across most of the Canadian Arctic. Created
in 1999 out of the eastern portion of the Northwest Territories, Nunavut
encompasses the traditional lands of the Inuit, the indigenous peoples of
Arctic Canada (known as Eskimo in the United States); its name means “Our Land”
in Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit. The capital is Iqaluit, at the head of
Frobisher Bay on southern Baffin Island.
The Arctic Ocean bounds
Nunavut to the north, Greenland (separated from it by a series of narrow straits,
Baffin Bay, and Davis Strait) lies to the east, and Quebec adjoins it to the
southeast across Hudson Strait and the northeastern arm of Hudson Bay. Its only
land boundaries are with Manitoba to the south and the Northwest Territories to
the southwest and west. Nunavut constitutes the greater part of the Canadian
Arctic Archipelago, including its largest island, Baffin Island. In addition,
several islands are divided between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories
(notably Victoria and Melville islands), and Nunavut’s territory extends to
numerous islands in Hudson Bay, such as the Belcher Islands. Area 808,185
square miles (2,093,190 square km). Pop. (2011) 31,906.
Land
Relief and drainage
Nunavut comprises two
distinct physiographic regions: the Canadian Shield, including the mainland and
the islands around Hudson Bay, and the Arctic Archipelago in the north. The
flat, often poorly drained lowlands of the Canadian Shield are underlain with
ancient rock more than 1 billion years old. Thousands of lakes dot the heavily
glaciated surface. The Arctic Archipelago consists of lowlands in the south
that rise to the Innuitian Mountains in the north and along the eastern side of
Baffin Island. Barbeau Peak, on northern Ellesmere Island, is the territory’s
highest point, reaching an elevation of 8,583 feet (2,616 metres). Much of the
archipelago is permanently covered in snow and ice, especially in the north and
east.
climate
The territory lies
entirely within the Arctic climatic zone, with bitterly cold winters and cool
to cold summers. Average daily January temperatures rise above −22 °F (−30 °C)
only in the eastern coastal areas, and in the far north and northwest of Hudson
Bay they reach only −31 °F (−35 °C). Average temperatures in July above 50 °F
(10 °C) are limited to the area west of Hudson Bay, while in the far north and
along the northeastern coast of Baffin Island they do not exceed 41 °F (5 °C).
Precipitation is scant throughout most of the territory and falls almost
entirely as snow. Annual precipitation levels of less than 8 inches (200 mm)
gradually increase toward the east; the greatest amounts—more than 24 inches
(600 mm)—occur on Bylot Island, just north of Baffin Island. Continuous
permafrost underlies virtually the entire territory.
Plant and animal life
Nunavut lies above the
northern limit of tree growth, and the timberline—which trends
northwest-southeast just within the Northwest Territories and roughly parallels
the border with Nunavut—is the traditional boundary between the cultural areas
of the Inuit to the north and the northern American Indians (First Nations)
known as Dene to the south. Tundra vegetation consists of lichens, mosses, a
variety of flowering plants, and small, hardy shrubs, notably dwarf birches.
The plant life supports small mammals, caribou, and musk oxen. Land predators
include red and Arctic foxes, wolves, and grizzly bears. Seals, walrus, and
polar bears inhabit the coasts, while beluga and bowhead whales and narwhals
are found in coastal waters. During the summer months the tundra is plagued by
mosquitoes and other biting insects, and millions of migratory aquatic birds
nest in the territory; only a few birds live there year-round, notably the
snowy owl and gyrfalcon and species of ptarmigan.
People
Population composition
The Inuit constitute
more than four-fifths of Nunavut’s population; nearly all of the rest are of
European descent. The language of the Inuit, Inuktitut, consisting of several
dialect groups, is spoken widely. It has two writing systems: roman letters and
a syllabic system developed in the 19th century by European missionaries. The
territorial government recognizes Inuinnaqtun, an Inuktitut dialect spoken in
western Nunavut and written in roman letters, as one of the territory’s four
main languages (Inuktitut, English, and French are the other three).
The origins of the
Inuit are obscure, but people have been living in the Canadian Arctic
Archipelago for more than 4,000 years. The several dialect groups now present
in Nunavut are all apparently descended from what is known as the Thule
culture, a prehistoric maritime society. Thule peoples first arrived in what is
now Nunavut about 1,000 years ago. Traditionally, the Inuit relied on trapping,
hunting, and fishing for clothing and food; they lived in igloos,
semisubterranean houses, or animal-skin tents.
Early contacts with
explorers and whaling crews introduced new diseases and reduced the population
during the 19th century. The fur trade was not well established in the Arctic
until early in the 20th century, but the Inuit adapted quickly to it, and they,
like the Dene, came to depend on outside sources for most of the necessities of
life. Construction activity during World War II and in the postwar years
further affected their way of life. The Inuit adapted readily to the
opportunities for casual employment, and many were quick to abandon their
seminomadic trapping and hunting existence for life in the settlements.
Canadian government policy in the 1950s and ’60s promoted that trend.
Settlement patterns
Nunavut is among the
most sparsely populated habitable regions on Earth. Settlements are very small
and are clustered largely in the coastal areas. Iqaluit, the administrative,
commercial, and cultural centre of the territory, is the largest town. Among
the other towns are Rankin Inlet (Kangiqting) on the northwest coast of Hudson
Bay, Pangnirtung (Panniqtuuq) on the Cumberland Peninsula of Baffin Island, and
Cambridge Bay (Ikaluktutiak) on the southeast coast of Victoria Island. Alert,
a weather station and military outpost on the north coast of Ellesmere Island,
is the northernmost community in North America.
Demographic trends
Because of the high
rate of natural increase among the Inuit, their proportion of the territorial
population is growing. The age structure of the territory is considerably
younger than it is for the rest of Canada, and more than one-third of the
population is younger than age 15.
Economy
Aside from its people,
Nunavut’s greatest economic asset is its mineral wealth, which includes
reserves of iron and nonferrous ores, precious metals and diamonds, and
petroleum and natural gas. Exploitation of those resources is hampered,
however, by high production costs and transportation difficulties. The federal
government has participated in resource development mainly by providing
infrastructure and assisting in the search for minerals. In addition,
government agencies produce and distribute electric power throughout the
territory. The government and its agencies are a major source of employment and
income for the territory.
Fishing and hunting
Turbot, shrimp, and
Arctic char are fished and exported to southern markets from several
communities in the eastern Arctic. Some Inuit continue to perform the
traditional activities of trapping small mammals, fishing, and hunting sea
mammals to supplement the imported food upon which they now rely. Some
sealskins are sold to commercial garment makers. Sport fishing and hunting draw
tourists to the territory.
Resources and power
Mining is the principal
resource-based industry in the territory. Lead and zinc were mined on Little
Cornwallis Island until reserves were depleted in 2002. Gold deposits have been
worked on the mainland at Contwoyto Lake, southwest of Bathurst Inlet. A
diamond mine operates about 220 miles (350 km) southwest of Cambridge Bay
(Ikaluktutiak). Significant yet untapped reserves of oil and natural gas also
exist in the territory.
Services, labour, and taxation
The largest source of
jobs is the service sector, particularly such government services as
administration, health care, education, and welfare. Many construction jobs
have been available in both the public and private sectors, although
substantial numbers of those employed are migrant workers attracted by high
wages. Tourism, centred around the territory’s natural attractions and unique
culture, constitutes a small but significant service industry. Overall,
however, the unemployment rate in Nunavut is higher than that in Canada as a
whole. The territory derives the bulk of its revenue from the federal
government, though it does collect income, consumption, and property taxes.
Transportation and telecommunications
Nearly all passenger
and much freight traffic is carried by air. Settlements on the west coast of
Hudson Bay and in Keewatin region are connected to Winnipeg, Man., and those in
the eastern Arctic are connected to Montreal. Surface transportation for heavy
freight is mainly by water. Fuel oil for heating and other bulky supplies are
carried to eastern Arctic settlements by seagoing supply ships operated by a
number of commercial carriers. Government departments also supply remote villages
and military installations along the eastern coastline. Roads connect a number
of communities. Snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles often are used for local
transportation. The Inuit once traveled by dogsled throughout the region;
however, dogsledding is now mostly a recreational activity. Satellite
television and Internet connections are available to most communities in the
territory.
Government And Society
Constitutional framework
The federal government
in Ottawa retains the ultimate responsibility for government in the territory.
However, a territorial administration sitting at Iqaluit exercises effective
government power. This administration consists of a commissioner, who is
appointed by the Canadian government and whose powers are largely ceremonial,
and the Legislative Assembly, which is elected by the people of the territory.
All members of the assembly are elected as independents, as there is no system
of political parties. The assembly chooses a speaker, a premier, and a cabinet
from among its members to form a government. The working language of the
administration is Inuktitut, although English and French also are used.
The justice system is
headed by a single-level trial court. Law enforcement is carried out by
community-based policing services supported by the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police.
Nunavut elects one
representative to the Canadian Parliament. The federal government controls
natural resources on federally owned lands and administers them through its
Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.
Health and education
Most of the region’s
education and health care services were provided by missionaries until the
1950s, when the Canadian government largely took over those responsibilities.
Today Nunavut’s Department of Education oversees elementary and secondary
schooling, and Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit offers postsecondary programs
and courses. The use of Inuktitut is promoted in the schools, and the federal
Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada gives financial support for
aboriginal education. Community health nurses, regional health-care centres,
and a hospital in Iqaluit provide health care. The territory offers
comprehensive medical insurance plans to residents.
Cultural Life
Despite the impact of
North American media and other modern influences, many traditional elements of
the Inuit culture have been preserved. In the years following World War II,
Canadian artist and author James Archibald Houston, with the assistance of the
Hudson’s Bay Company, was instrumental in the promotion and sale of Inuit art.
Public policy has continued to encourage the development of Inuit traditions in
arts and crafts—including stone carvings, weavings, and prints—providing an
important supplementary source of income in some Inuit communities and making
Inuit culture familiar to collectors worldwide. In the late 20th and early 21st
centuries, the musical career of Inuit singer and lyricist Susan Aglukark also
promoted greater understanding and appreciation of Inuit cultural life in a modern
context.
Sports and recreation
Winter sports, such as
hockey and curling, are popular in Nunavut, as are dogsled and snowmobile
racing and traditional Arctic games. Outdoor activities, including hunting,
fishing, hiking, and kayaking, attract visitors to the territory. Large areas
of the territory are set aside as protected areas, including Quttinirpaaq
National Park on Ellesmere Island; Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island;
Sirmilik National Park on northern Baffin Island and Bylot Island; Ukkusiksalik
National Park on the mainland; Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary, also
on the mainland; and Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary, shared with the Northwest
Territories.
Media and publishing
Several weekly
newspapers are published in the territory, both in English and in Inuktitut. A
number of radio and television stations broadcast a variety of programming.
Broadcasting in Inuktitut is well established.
History
This portion of the
article covers the history of what is now Nunavut from the late 20th century.
For earlier history of the region, see Northwest Territories: History.
By the mid-20th century
most Inuit of the region, then a part of the Northwest Territories, had
replaced their seminomadic hunting, fishing, and trapping lifestyle with a more
sedentary style of living in settled communities, where dependence on
government welfare support became the norm. Nutrition and health care improved,
but there also were serious social problems related to alcohol and other
substance abuse, unemployment, and crime. Dissatisfaction with those conditions
and the wish to participate more directly in the processes of resource
development led the Inuit to exert pressure on the federal and territorial governments
to grant them greater control over the administration of their own affairs. In
the mid-1970s the Inuit began negotiations to settle land claims and proposed
the creation of a separate Inuit territory. A plebiscite in the Northwest
Territories in 1992 approved the division of the territories. With that
mandate, the Inuit and representatives of the federal government reached an
agreement that produced two acts of the Canadian Parliament in 1993. The first,
the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, settled Inuit land claims against the
government by giving the Inuit outright control of more than 135,000 square
miles (350,000 square km) of territory and providing cash payments from the
federal government over a 14-year period; the second, the Nunavut Act, established
the territory of Nunavut out of the eastern portion of the Northwest
Territories. Following a transitional period, Nunavut came into being on April
1, 1999.
After its inception,
the Nunavut experiment in ethnic-based territorial government had mixed
success. The economy grew, but it remained almost entirely dependent on
transfers of income from the federal government. Despite a reawakening of
native culture and pride, alienation of the territory’s youth, unemployment,
substance abuse, and other social ills common to the peripheral communities of
North America persisted. Native elders, the territorial authorities, and the
federal government continued to deal with these challenges in the early years
of the 21st century.
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