Nunavut Travel Guide - Overview

Nunavut became Canada's largest and newest territory in 1999, when it was separated from the Northwest Territories. It emerged from around 20 years of negotiations by the Inuit communities that constitute about 80% of the population of this Arctic Territory. Nunavut means 'our land' in the language of the Inuit people, Inuktitut, and it is a land that is both Canadian and uniquely distinct from the country's other provinces and territories.

In Nunavut is a wilderness that forms one-fifth of Canada. Polar bears dot the landscape, whales the seascape; and it is possible to do all those things that visitors may associate with the Arctic, from enjoying a dog sled to exploring an igloo to watching the northern lights (Aurora Borealis) illumine the dense darkness.

There are also less traditional but equally adventurous activities to get your teeth into, such as mountain and rock climbing or challenging hikes across breathtaking national parks. The landscape is one of ice and snow but also spectacular flora and fauna, all the more startling and beautiful for their sparseness and their contrast to the barren scene that they have managed to wriggle out of and flourish in.

Any visitor to Nunavut will most likely also flourish, in an area with plenty of indigenous history and plenty of stunning tundra, mountains and deep fjords.