History of the Northwest Territories History of the Northwest Territories The History of the Northwest Territories begins with the population of the region by First Nations peoples, and proceeds through the transformation of it into provinces and territories of the nation of Canada, including the modern administrative unit of the Northwest Territories. When Europeans settlers began to divide the continent, the Northwest Territories included much of the sparsely populated regions of what is now western Canada. Over time, the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba were formed out of the territories. In 1898, the Yukon territory became a separate entity and in 1999 Nunavut was
Geography of Nunavut of rare berries, lichens, Arctic Willows, moss, tough grass, and small willow shrubs. , Nunavut has a population of approximately 34,000. In 2006 around 84% of the population were native peoples, primarily Inuit. Nunavut's small and sparse population makes it unlikely the territory will be granted provincial status in the foreseeable future, although this may change if the Yukon, which is only marginally more populous, becomes a province. Geography of Nunavut The Canadian territory of Nunavut covers about 1.9 million square kilometres ( 733,594 sq. miles) of land and water including part of the mainland, most of the Arctic Islands,