Geography of Yukon

AmapofYukon

Yukonis in the northwestern corner ofCanadaand is bordered byAlaska,British Columbiaand theNorthwest Territories.The sparsely populated territory abounds with natural scenery, snowmelt lakes and perennial white-capped mountains, including many of Canada's highest mountains. The territory's climate isArcticin territory north ofOld Crow,subarcticin the region, betweenWhitehorseand Old Crow, andhumid continental climatesouth of Whitehorse and in areas close to theBritish Columbiaborder. Most of the territory isboreal forestwithtundrabeing the main vegetation zone only in the extreme north and at high elevations.

The territory is about the shape of a right triangle, bordering theAmericanstate of Alaska to the west, the Northwest Territories to the east and British Columbia to the south. Yukon covers 482,443 km²,of which 474,391 km²is land and 8,052 km²is water, making it theforty-first largest subnational entity in the world,and, among the fifty largest, the least populous.

Yukon is bounded on the south by the60th paralleloflatitude.Its northern coast is on theBeaufort Sea.Its western boundary is141° westlongitude.Its ragged eastern boundary mostly follows thedividebetween theYukon RiverBasin and theMackenzie Riverwatershedto the east in theMackenzie mountains.

Physical geography

Except for the coastal plain on theBeaufort Sea(Arctic Ocean) coast, most of Yukon is part of theAmerican cordillera.The terrain includesmountain ranges,plateausandrivervalleys.

The southwest is dominated by theKluane icefieldsinKluane National Park and Reserve,the largest non-polaricefieldsin thePoles.Kluane National Park also contains eight of Canada's ten highest mountains, including the five highest, all in theSaint Elias Mountains.A number of glaciers flow out of the icefields, including theLogan Glacier,theHubbard Glacierand theKaskawulsh Glacier.

Permafrostis common. The northern part of Yukon has continuous permafrost, while it is widespread in the central part. Even the southern Yukon has scattered patches of permafrost.

Two majorfaults,theDenali Faultand theTintina Faulthave created major valleys calledtrenches:theShakwak Trenchand theTintina Trench.The Shakwak Trench separates the Kluane ranges from other mountain ranges north of it. TheHaines Highwayand theAlaska Highwaynorth ofHaines Junctionare built in the Shakwak Trench. The Tintina Trench bisects the Yukon from northwest to southeast and its edges have rich mineral deposits including theKlondikegoldand thelead-zincdeposits nearFaro.

Volcanoes

Thevolcanoesin Yukon are part of the circle of volcanoes around thePacific Oceanknown as thePacific Ring of Fire.Yukon includes more than 100 separate volcanic centres that have been active during theQuaternary.TheFort Selkirk Volcanic Fieldin central Yukon is the northernmostHolocenevolcanic fieldin Canada, including the youngactivecinder cone,Volcano Mountain.Avolcanic fieldin south-central Yukon is calledAlligator Lake volcanic complex.It contains two well-preserved cinder cones that caps a smallshield volcano.Lava from the cones travelled north and were erupted at the same time. Volcanoes in south-western Yukon are part of theWrangle Volcanic Field,which is related to thesubductionof thePacific Platebeneath theNorth American Plateat the easternmost end of theAvalanche Trench.

Yukon volcanoes include:

• Volcano Mountain
• Alligator Lake volcanic complex
• Fort Selkirk Volcanic Field
• Pelly Formation
• Bennett Lake Caldera
• Sifton Range volcanic complex
• Rabbit Mountain
• Felsite Peak
• Ibex Mountain
• Mount McNeil
• Miles Canyon Basalts
• Ne Ch'e Ddhawa
• Skukum Group
• Upper Becker Creek Cone

Mountain ranges

The Saint Elias mountains are part of theCoast Mountainswhich range from southern British Columbia to Alaska and cover the southwestern Yukon. While the Saint Elias Mountains contain the highest mountains, there are numerous other mountain ranges, from theBritish Mountainsin the far north and theRichardson Mountainsin the northeast, both of which are part of theBrooks Range,to theSelwyn MountainsandMackenzie Mountainsin the east, theCassiar Mountainsin the south-east, thePelly Mountainsin the central Yukon, and theOgilvie Mountainsnorth ofDawson Cityand along theDempster Highway.

Yukon mountain ranges include:

• Brooks Range(mostly in northernAlaska)
  • British Mountains,Yukon
  • Richardson Mountains,Yukon
• Cassiar Mountains,British ColumbiaandYukon
• Mackenzie Mountains,Northwest TerritoriesandYukon
  • Logan Mountains,Yukon
• Selwyn Mountains,Yukon
  • Hess Mountains,Yukon
  • Nadaleen Range,Yukon
  • Bonnet Plume Range,Yukon
  • Wernecke Mountains,Yukon
  • Knorr Range,Yukon
• Pacific Coast Ranges,MexicotoAlaska
  • Coast Mountains,also inBritish ColumbiaandAlaska Panhandle
  • Saint Elias Mountains,southernAlaska,YukonandBritish Columbia
    • Kluane Ranges,Yukon
    • Alsek Ranges,Yukon, British Columbia and Alaska
• Yukon Ranges
  • Anvil Range
  • Dawson Range
  • Miners Range,Yukon
  • Nisling Range
  • Ogilvie Mountains,Yukon
    • Nahoni Range
  • Pelly Mountains,Yukon
    • Big Salmon Range,Yukon
    • Glenlyon Range
    • Saint Cyr Range
  • Ruby Range,Yukon

Highest mountains

Highest Mountains in the Yukon

Mountain	Height (metres)	Height (feet)	Rank
Mount Logan	5,959	19,551	Highest mountain in Canada
Mount Saint Elias	5,489	18,009	#2 in both Canada and the USA
Mount Lucania	5,226	17,146	#3 in Canada
King Peak	5,173	16,972	#4 in Canada
Mount Steele	5,073	16,644	#5 in Canada
Mount Wood	4,842	15,886	#7 in Canada
Mount Vancouver	4,812	15,787	#8 in Canada
Mount Slaggard	4,742	15,558	#10 in Canada
Mount Macaulay	4,690	15,390
Mount Hubbard	4,577	15,016
Mount Walsh	4,507	14,787
Mount Alverstone	4,439	14,564
McArthur Peak	4,389	14,400
Mount Augusta	4,289	14,072

Hydrography

See also:List of Yukon lakesandList of Yukon rivers

Most of the territory is in thewatershedof its namesake, theYukon River,which flows into theBering Sea.Southern Yukon is dotted with a large number of large, long and narrow glacier-fed alpinelakes,most of which flow into the Yukon River system. The larger lakes include:Teslin Lake,Atlin Lake,Tagish Lake,Marsh Lake,Lake Laberge,Kusawa Lake,Kluane Lake.Bennett Lakeon theKlondike Gold Rushtrail is a smaller lake flowing into Tagish Lake.

Other rivers flow either directly into thePacific Oceanor directly or indirectly into theArctic Ocean.TheAlsek-Tatshenshini drainage flows directly into the Pacific from southwestern Yukon. A number of rivers in northern Yukon flow directly into the Arctic Ocean. The two main Yukon rivers flowing into theMackenzie Riverin the Northwest Territories are theLiardRiver in the southeast and thePeel Riverand its tributaries in the northeast.

Climate

Köppentypes of Yukon.

Most of Yukon has asubarctic climate(Köppen climate classificationDfc), characterized by long cold winters and brief warm summers. The airstrip atSnag,25 kilometres east ofBeaver Creeknear the Alaska border, experienced the lowest evertemperaturemeasured in North America, −63.0 °C or −81.4 °F on February 3, 1947. TheArctic Oceancoast has apolar climate(ET). The climate is generally very dry, with little precipitation, but is considerably wetter in the southeast. Precipitation is much greater in the mountains, and the snowpack continues to melt well into the summer, resulting in high water in July or August.

Representative Climate Normals

Zone	Average annual temperature	Average July daily high	Average January daily low	Average snowfall	Average rainfall
North (Old Crow)	-9.0 °C	21 °C	-36 °C	129 cm	144 mm
Central (Dawson City)	-4.4 °C	23 °C	-31 °C	160 cm	200 mm
South (Whitehorse)	-0.7 °C	21 °C	-22 °C	145 cm	163 mm
Southeast (Watson Lake)	-2.9 °C	21 °C	-29 °C	197 cm	255 mm

Source: Environment Canada

Ecology

Except for theArctic Oceancoastal plainand high elevations, most of Yukon is in theboreal forestecoregion.Most mountain peaks and higher elevations are characterized byAlpine tundrawhile the coastal plain isArctic coastal tundra.More precisely, according toEnvironment Canada's ecozone definitions, southern and central Yukon is part of theBoreal Cordillera Ecozonewhile the northern forest is part of theTaiga Cordillera Ecozone.ThePeel Riverarea in the northeast is in theTaiga Plains Ecozoneand the Arctic coast is in theSouthern Arctic Ecozone.

Fireweed(Epilobium angustifolium), Yukon's territorial flower andwhite spruce(Picea glauca) in southern Yukon near the SouthKlondike Highway.

Plants

Black spruce(Picea mariana),white spruce(Picea glauca),quaking aspen(Populus tremuloides) andbalsam poplar(Populus balsamifera) are found throughout much of the territory. Although relatively uncommon, the Alaska birch (Betula neoalaskana) is also found in most areas. Thelodgepole pine(Pinus contorta) reaches its northern extreme in the south-central part of the territory, whiletamarack(Larix laricina) is found in the southeast and thesubalpine fir(Abies lasiocarpa) is found at higher elevations in the southern part of the territory.

Animals

The large mammals found throughout the territory includecaribou(Rangifer tarandus,both barren-ground and woodland),moose(Alces alces),wolves(Canis lupus),grizzly bears(Ursus arctos horribilis) andAmerican black bears(Ursus americanus). Higher elevation haveDall sheep(Ovis dalli) and, in the south,Rocky Mountain goat(Oreamnos americanus).Polar bears(Ursus maritimus) are found on the Arctic coast. Themule deer(Odocoileus hermionus) and its predator, thecougar(Puma concolor), are becoming increasingly common in the south, andcoyotes(Canis latrans) are increasing their range to the northern Yukon.Elk(Cervus canadensis) andwood bison(Bison bison athabascae) are also present.

There are many species ofrodents,includingsquirrels,ground squirrels,lemmings,pikas,beavers,variousvoles,porcupines,muskrats,etc.Mustelidsare also well represented and include thewolverine(Gulo gulo),Pacific marten(Martes caurina),American ermine(Mustela richardsonii),least weasel(Mustela nivalis),American mink(Neogale vison), and theriver otter(Lontra canadensis). Other small carnivores present are theCanada lynx(Lynx canadensis),red fox(Vulpes vulpes) andArctic fox(Vulpes lagopus) along the northern coast.

More than 250 species ofbirdshave been sighted in Yukon. Thecommon raven(Corvus corax) is the territorial bird and is common everywhere. Other common resident birds includebald eagles(Haliaeetus leucocephalus),golden eagles(Aquila chrysaetos),gyrfalcon(Falco rusticolus) andperegrine falcon(Falco peregrinus), five species ofgrouse(spruce grouse,blue grouse,ruffed grouse,ptarmigan,andwhite-tailed ptarmigan). Manymigratory birdsbreed in the Yukon, as it is at the northern end of thePacific Flyway.

Other than theburbotandnorthern pike,most of the large fish found in Yukon rivers, lakes and streams aresalmonids.Four species ofPacific salmon(Chinook,sockeye,cohoandchum) breed in Yukon rivers and lakes in thePacificandYukon Riverwatersheds. The Yukon River has the longest freshwater migration route of any salmon; Chinook salmon swim over 3,000 kilometres from its mouth in the Bering Sea to spawning grounds upstream ofWhitehorse.There are also land-locked kokanee (sockeye salmon) andrainbow trout.charsare represented bylake troutpresent in most large Yukon lakes, as well asDolly Varden,bull troutandArctic char.TheArctic graylingis ubiquitous, while the lakes have variouswhitefishandinconnu.

There are noreptilesin Yukon, but a fewfrogs.

Human geography

Yukon is sparsely populated, with about 30,000 inhabitants in a territory almost as large as Spain or Sweden. Population density is 0.06 people per km².Close to three quarters of the population is in theWhitehorsearea, and the rest live in a number of othercommunities.All exceptOld Croware accessible by road.

The capital, Whitehorse, is also the largest city with more than two thirds of the population; the second largest isDawson City,(pop. 1800) which was the capital until 1952.

Traditionally, Yukon was inhabited by nomadicAthapaskan-speakingFirst Nationspeople who had established extensive trading networks with the Pacific CoastTlingit.The interior people tradedcopper,furs and meat for coastal products such aseulachonoil. About 20% of the Yukon population is ofaboriginalorigin.

There is noInuitpopulation in Yukon, although there was a population along theArctic Oceancoast within historic times. The Inuit were decimated by disease and disappeared in the 19th century. In 1984, theGovernment of Canadaincluded the Yukon North Slope within theInuvialuit Settlement Regionunder the auspices of theInuvialuit.

The following table presents the population of mostYukon communities.Note that theCensusdata represents those people who lived within the community boundaries, while the Yukon Bureau of Statistics (YBS) includes everyone with a postal address in the community. Typically, many people live immediately outside the community boundaries, hence the larger YBS numbers.

Population of Yukon Communities

Community	2001 Census	1996 Census	June 2005 YBS
Whitehorse(Agglomeration)	23,272	23,272	23,608
Whitehorse(City)	19,157	19,058	23,272
Dawson City	1,251	1,287	1,826
Watson Lake2	1,138	1,148	1,522
Town of Watson Lake only	912	993	n/a
Haines Junction	531	574	817
Carmacks	431	466	378
Marsh Lake¹	400	n/a	336
Mt. Lorne¹	379	399	n/a
Mayo	366	324	378
Ross River	337	352	345
Pelly Crossing	328	238	281
Ibex Valley¹	315	322	n/a
Faro	313	1,261	381
Old Crow	299	278	259
Teslin3	267	309	417
Tagish	206	164	187
Carcross4	201	292	444
Beaver Creek	88	131	120
Burwash Landing	68	58	89
Destruction Bay	43	34	59
Yukon Total	28,674	30,766	31,222

Notes:
¹Part of WhitehorseCensus Agglomeration
²Includes the town and adjoiningFirst Nationssettlements ofUpper Liardand Two and One-Half Mile Village.
³Includes both the Village of Teslin and the adjoiningreserve
⁴Includes both the settlement and the adjoining Reserve

Natural resources

Yukon has abundant mineral resources andminingwas the mainstay of the economy until recently. Abundantgoldwas found in theKlondike regionleading to theKlondike Gold Rushof 1898.Placergold is found in many streams and rivers, and there is an active placer mining industry in the Klondike and many other parts of Yukon to this day.

Other minerals that have been actively mined includecopperin theWhitehorsearea,leadandzincinFaro,silver,zincandleadin theMayo/Keno Cityarea,asbestosinClinton Creek,and copper, gold, and coal in theCarmacksarea. The world's largest known deposit oftungstenis in theMacmillan Passarea in theMackenzie Mountainsnear theNorthwest Territoriesborder. Non-metallic minerals mined have includedjadeandbarite.

The fur trade was very important to the YukonFirst Nationeconomy, but low prices and the impact ofanimal rights activistshave devastated the traditional economy.

There are threehydroelectricgenerating stations in Yukon: one atSchwatka Lakein Whitehorse, another near Mayo and a third onAishihik Lake.

While Yukon is mostly covered with forests, most of the trees are small and take a long time to grow and regenerate because of the dry cold climate. There is a considerable amount of small scalelogging,but the only area that can sustain industrial forestry is in the southeast with its wetter climate. However, distance from markets and fluctuating prices have resulted in a boom-and-bust industry.

A small amount ofnatural gasis currently produced in the southeast, but little exploration has been done in other parts of the Yukon. It is believed that there are abundant natural gas fields in the Eagle Plains area along theDempster Highwayand possibly in the Whitehorse area, but distance frompipelineshas hampered exploration.

Environmental issues

Global warmingis affecting the north more than other parts of the world and Yukon is no exception.While residents might welcome warmer temperatures, the ultimate effects are not known. Higher temperatures would mean moreevaporationand drying out an already dry climate, resulting in moreforest firesand reducing the biological productivity ofboreal forests,whose growth is limited more by lack of moisture than temperature. Also glaciers are likely to melt, and permafrost likely to thaw.

Yukon is also the recipient of airborne pollutants from other parts of the world, especiallypersistent organic pollutants.Consumption of the liver of certain wild animals and fish is no longer recommended because of these.

Locally,mine reclamationand dealing with minetailingsthat causeacid mine drainageleft over frommine closuresis a major problem and is likely to cost hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up.

In an effort to encourage natural resource exploration, the previous (2002–2011)Yukon Partygovernment led byDennis Fentiehas suspended the application of the Protected Areas Strategy (established by a previousYukon New Democratic Partygovernment) and has indicated its intention of not creating additional protected areas or parks.

TheGwichʼinpeople ofOld Croware dependent on the Porcupinecaribouherd for food and clothing, as are others in the Yukon. The Porcupine caribou herd migrates to the coastal plain in theArctic National Wildlife Refuge(ANWR) inAlaskato give birth. That herd may be seriously threatened byoil-drillingin the ANWR.

See also

• Geology of Yukon

References

• A.W.F. Banfield (1974).The Mammals of Canada.University of Toronto Press.ISBN0-8020-2137-9
• Ken S. Coates and William R. Morrison (1988).Land of the Midnight Sun: A History of the Yukon.Hurtig Publishers, Edmonton.ISBN0-88830-331-9
• William J. Cody (1996).Flora of the Yukon Territory.NRC Research Press, Ottawa.ISBN0-660-16406-X(Hardcover),ISBN0-660-15898-1(Softcover).
• Environment Canada, Pacific and Yukon Region Ecozones and Ecoregions
• Environment Canada,Canadian Climate Normals or Averages 1971-2000
• Pamela H. Sinclair, Wendy A. Nixon, Cameron D. Eckert, and Nancy L. Hughes, Eds. (2003).Birds of the Yukon Territory.University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver, British Columbia.ISBN0-7748-1012-2.
• Statistics Canada,2001 CensusArchived2021-02-27 at theWayback Machine
• Yukon Department of the Environment,Yukon State of the Environment Reports,various years (1995–2002)
• Yukon Geological Survey,Yukon Geoprocess File User Guide(PDFfile, 1.2MB)
• Yukon Bureau of Statistics, Population Report, June 2005
• Yukon Bureau of Statistics, Yukon Fact Sheet 2003

External links

• Yukon Geological Survey
• Whitefish fossil grants scientific wishes
• Environment Canada, Pacific and Yukon Region Ecozones and Ecoregions