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Interesting Facts About The Yukon
In the Athapaskan language, the word "Yukon" means "the great river" or "big river." At 3,600 kilometres (2,300 mi.), the Yukon River is the fourth longest river in North America; the fifth largest in water flow and the last major river on the continent to be explored in the 1800s The Yukon Territory is 483,450 square kilometres (186,661 sq. mi.) big. That's larger than the State of California and larger than Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands combined.
Barren ground caribou -185,000
Moose - 50,000
People - 31,881
Mountain sheep -25,000
Grizzly bears - 10,000
Black bears - 7,000
Birds (species) - 254
Fish (species) - 38The human population of Yukon was higher in 1898 than it is now. Dawson City alone reached a population of over 30,000 at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush. The population of Whitehorse, the current capital of Yukon, was 23,133 in 1993.
A RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE
Yukon First Nations people include the Southern and Northern Tutchone, Tlingit, Tagish, Kaska, Tanana, Han and Gwitchin people. The Inuvialuit peoples' traditional hunting grounds include the northern Yukon. The Athapaskan language group is shared by the Tutchone, Tagish, Kaska, Tanana, Han and Gwitchin people - the largest group of Athapaskans today are the Navajo people in the southwestern United States.
RIBBONS OF HIGHWAY
There are 4,734.8 kilometres (2,942.2 mi.) of highway in Yukon, including some of the most spectacular and unusual drives in the world. The Dempster Highway, the only public road in Canada to cross the Arctic Circle, is an astonishing drive through Arctic tundra. The Klondike Highway roughly follows the route used by the gold seekers of 1898. The Canol Highway is a fabulous trip through pristine wilderness, past whitewater rivers and blue-green lakes.
MOUNTAINS AND MORE MOUNTAINS
The St. Elias Mountains in Kluane National Park are the youngest mountains in Canada and also the highest. There are more than 20 summits over 4,200 meters (14,000 ft.), the largest accumulation on the continent. Overseeing these lofty peaks is Mount Logan, Canada's highest mountain at 5,959 metres (19,551 ft.), and one of the world's largest massifs. And they're still growing - a seismograph in the Visitor Reception Centre at Haines Junction records the hundreds of small tremors that occur every year, pushing the St. Elias Mountains ever skyward.
THE ICE QUEEN
Between the rock massifs of the St. Elias Mountains is one of the largest non-polar
icefields in the world. Huge valley glaciers fill the gulfs between the peaks; the Hubbard Glacier is 112 kilometres (70 mi.) long, the Lowell Glacier is 72 kilometres (45 mi.) long - and these glaciers may be 1.6 kilometres (1 mi.) thick in parts. These glaciers make their own weather, scour away tons of rock every day, dam rivers and create lakes.GALLOPING GLACIERS
The Steele Glacier in Kluane National Park surged for several months in 1966-67, moving over 1.5 billion tons of ice at a rate of up to 15 metres (50 ft.) per day. Surging valley glaciers are not uncommon in Kluane, where the Lowell Glacier has a history of galloping, blocking the Alsek River and forming a lake. There are more than 2,000 glaciers in Kluane National Park including valley glaciers, hanging glaciers, cirque glaciers and rock glaciers.
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
One of the Yukon's great treasures, Kluane National Park, is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. It contains the wonders of the St. Elias Mountains and its icefields, glacial lakes, wild rivers and pristine forests. Interpretive trails and exhibits will introduce you to the wonders of one of North America's most awe-inspiring wilderness preserves.
CANADIAN HERITAGE RIVERS
The Alsek and the Thirty-Mile are both Canadian Heritage Rivers, and the Bonnet Plume has been nominated for this special status. The Thirty-Mile rushes from lower Lake Laberge, while the Alsek River courses through Kluane National Park past calving glaciers and awesome mountain scenery. The Bonnet Plume is loved by canoeists from around the world for its challenging whitewater and outstanding wilderness setting.
NORTHERN FESTIVALS
Northern festivals are times of enthusiasm and release for Yukoners. Visit Yukon during the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous, Dawson Discovery Days, Klondike Outhouse Races, Yukon International Storytelling Festival, Yukon Quest Dog Sled Race, Frostbite Music Festival or Dawson City Music Festival. See for yourself what the fuss is all about!
LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN
On June 21, summer solstice, the sun never sets in some parts of Yukon. All over the Territory you can read a book outdoors all night. The midnight sun makes for long summer days, and wondrous carmine and magenta skyscapes that last for hours, rather than minutes.
THE WORLD'S SMALLEST DESERT
The Carcross Desert is affectionately known as the world's smallest desert. The dry climate and wind conditions have created sand dunes and forced special vegetation to adapt to the surroundings. This pocket desert is a popular tourist attraction.
RARE MINERALS
More than 30 types of rare phosphate minerals have been discovered in the Blow River area. Many of these minerals are new to science. The exceptionally rare lazulite crystals gave Yukon its official gemstone. Samples of these minerals are on display in Whitehorse.
THE BLUE FISH CAVES
The Blue Fish Caves on the Bluefish River in the northern Yukon contain the earliest evidence of human habitation in North America. Today, some experts believe humans have lived in this region for more than 14,000 years.
SOURDOUGHS AND CHEECHAKOS
Sourdough (a fermenting mixture of flour, water, and a pinch of sugar and rice) hung in a kettle over the wood stove of many Yukoners. It was used as a starter to make delicious sourdough bread. "Sourdough" became the word used to describe a Yukon old-timer. A Cheechako, on the other hand, is a "greenhorn" - or newcomer to Yukon. There's only one way for a cheechako to become a sourdough: he or she must watch the river freeze in the fall and break into grinding pieces in the spring. The term "sourdough" was immortalized in Robert Service's first collection of verse, "Songs of the Sourdough."
SNOW IN SUMMER?
Not likely. The Yukon has warm, sun-rich summers with average temperatures in July of 14 to 16oC (57 to 60oF), and highs that can reach 35oC (95oF). The average temperature in January is between -18 and -25oC (0 and -15oF), though lows can reach -55oC (-58oF). Most of Yukon's climate is semi-arid, so snow and rainfall are light; on average there's just 26.8 centimetres (10.5 in.) of precipitation a year in Whitehorse, the capital.
SORRY, NO IGLOOS
The igloo is an ancestral dwelling for Canada's Inuit peoples. Although the Inuvialuit have traditional territory in the northern Yukon, they do not live in igloos there. The skin tent was the ancestral shelter for Yukon First Nations peoples.
THE SOUND OF LIGHT
The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are caused by huge explosions on the surface of the sun that send out streams of charged particles that interact with the Earth's upper atmosphere. These reactions occur 96 to 128 kilometres (60 to 80 mi.) above the Earth's surface.
For further information on the Yukon, go to www.touryukon.com
