10 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know About The Northwest Territories

It's the land of the Midnight Sun.

Want to visit one of the coolest parts in Canada? Then hop over to the Northwest Territories. This territory extends way above the Arctic Circle and has one of the best viewing spots of the northern lights in the world.

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Curious to learn more? We've got some fascinating facts about the NWT that will make you wanna pack your toque and parka pronto!

1. It is nearly twice the size of Texas.

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Bordering the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia and the Canadian territories of Yukon and Nunavut, the Northwest Territories covers a total area of 1,346,106 km². This is nearly twice the size of Texas, or roughly equal to France, Portugal, and Spain combined.

2. It’s the northern lights mecca of the world.

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Move over, Finland, the Northwest Territories is the world's northern lights mecca! Here, people can view the shining northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, on an average of 200 nights per year. Why are the northern lights so frequent in the NWT? It’s due to the perfect mix of the subarctic’s clear nights, low humidity, and convenient geography (it's directly beneath the Earth's band of maximal auroral activity — the "auroral oval”). The ideal time to see the lights is from mid-August till the end of September and from mid-November until mid-April. 

3. The Northwest Territories is home of the Midnight Sun.

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Imagine it is 2 in the morning and it looks like noon. In June, Yellowknife gets about 20 hours of sunlight, with no real darkness. Conversely in winter, the NWT remains dark virtually around the clock, which is known as “polar night.” In December, people will only see about five hours of daylight. And you thought your daylight savings time was rough!

4. It can get real hot in the summer!

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The Northwest Territories has a dry climate, which means their summer nights are cool and the winters aren’t super bone-chilling (well, depending on what you consider chilling, of course). Temperatures fluctuate between 25°C and 32.5°C in the summer. It once reached an all-time high of 39.4°C! However, in the winter, the thermometer can plunge to -40°C, but the average winter temperature hovers around -20°C.

5. Yellowknife is its capital city and it is pretty darn close to the North Pole.

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Yellowknife is the capital and largest city. Plus it's the biggest community in the Northwest Territories with just over 20,000 residents. It’s also approximately 3,062 kilometres away from the North Pole.

6. Yellowknife sits on the shore of one of the largest lakes in the world.

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Great Slave Lake is the second largest lake entirely within Canadian borders, the fifth largest in North America, and the 10th largest in the world. Just how big is it? Well, it’s said to be about the same size as Belgium. It’s also the deepest lake in North America, boasting a depth of 614 metres. The origin of the name of Great Slave Lake refers to "Slavey." "Slavey" is a word sometimes applied to the Dene people, or Athapaskan-speaking people, who are indigenous to the region. This term has been adopted by many Dene people as a collective term of self-designation when speaking English since there is no equivalent term in Dene languages.

7. The Gold Range bar is one of the oldest drinking spots in the NWT.

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An iconic dive bar, the Gold Range Bar was the first bar to serve draught beer in the Northwest Territories, and it’s been reported that it was once one of the highest grossing bars in Canada in the late '80s and early '90s. Currently, the Gold Range is for sale for $2 million and is described as a "landmark in the heart of downtown Yellowknife for over 65 years" in its listing.

8. The Nahanni National Park Reserve is one of the first UNESCO world heritage sites ever.

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The Nahanni National Park, a 470,000 hectare of undisturbed natural land, was established in 1976 and was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978. With deep river canyons, epic mountain ranges with huge waterfalls and cave systems, the park is filled with wildly unique vegetation and it’s so vast that there are areas that have been untouched by humans. 

9. The Nahanni National Park has many awe-inspiring features, including the largest lake entirely within Canada and the tallest waterfalls in North America.

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The Nahanni National Park is pretty stunning on its own, but it also happens to include some majorly extra features such as Great Bear Lake, the largest lake located entirely inside Canadian borders, and the Virginia Falls, which are nearly twice the height of Niagara Falls!

10. Inuvik is the largest NWT town north of the Arctic Circle.

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Located just 200 kilometres North of the Arctic Circle, Inuvik acts as the gateway to the Western Arctic. Inuvik, which means place of people, is the the traditional land of the Inuvialuit, Gwich’in and Metis people. It’s also home to one of the most northern-located mosques in the world, Midnight Sun Mosque. This mosque is affectionately known as the Little Mosque on the Tundra. 

This summer, BuzzFeed Canada is taking you on a virtual trip from coast to coast. Check out how BuzzFeed is highlighting different provinces and territories while bringing you more Canada content!

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