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Northwest Territories

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

A stunning view of the Third Canyon along the Nahanni River in Canada’s Northwest Territories.

Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories is a big area in Canada. It is one of the three territories in Northern Canada. Many people live there, about 45,848 in 2025. It is a special place where many different groups of people live together.

The land is very big, about the same size as France, Portugal, and Spain together! It has forests and also areas called tundra, where it is very cold. The Northwest Territories touches many places. It borders Nunavut to the east and Yukon to the west. It also touches the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan to the south.

The capital and largest town is Yellowknife. In 2021, about 20,340 people lived there. Yellowknife is known for its beautiful lights in the sky called auroras. People come from all over to see these amazing lights.

The Northwest Territories has many lakes. Two big ones are Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake. The Mackenzie River flows through the area and is very important for the land and people.

People in the Northwest Territories enjoy many festivals. The Snowking Winter Festival in Yellowknife is very popular. It has ice buildings and fun winter activities. There are also music festivals like Folk on the Rocks.

Travel in the Northwest Territories can be interesting. There are roads, but some places are only reachable by plane or special winter roads made of ice. Yellowknife Airport is the main airport and helps people get around.

Images

A view of the Mackenzie Highway as it enters the Northwest Territories from Alberta.
A map showing the location and terrain of the Northwest Territories in Canada.
Historical proclamation document about adding territories to Canada in 1869
A sign for an eye clinic in Yellowknife, displaying text in 11 official languages of the Northwest Territories.
A satellite view of the Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada's Northwest Territories, showing how humans extract diamonds from the Earth.
Interior view of the Legislative Assembly building in the Northwest Territories, Canada.
A huge snowcastle being built on the edge of Great Slave Lake during winter in Yellowknife.
A beautiful autumn scene from Dempster Highway in Canada, showcasing the colorful fall foliage and natural landscape.
License plate from the Northwest Territories showing the official design and text.
The terminal inside Yellowknife Airport in Canada.
A map showing the location and borders of the Northwest Territories in Canada.

Related articles

Tundra
Yukon
British Columbia
Saskatchewan
Aurora

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Northwest Territories, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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