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Yukon Facts & Worksheets

The Yukon, a territory in northwest Canada, is wild, mountainous and sparsely populated.

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The Yukon, a territory in northwest Canada, is wild, mountainous, and sparsely populated. Kluane National Park and Reserve include Mount Logan, Canada’s highest peak, as well as glaciers, trails, and the Alsek River. In the far north is Ivvavik National Park, with protected calving grounds for Porcupine caribou. In the south are numerous glacier-fed alpine lakes, including boldly coloured Emerald Lake.

See the fact file below for more information on the Yukon or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Yukon worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BASIC FACTS ABOUT THE YUKON

  • Area: 186,272 sq. miles
  • Population: 35,874
  • Bird: Common raven
  • Languages spoken: English and French, with some Indigenous languages
  • Capital city: Whitehorse
  • Joined confederation: June 13, 1898
  • Yukon is one of Canada’s three territories and is located next to the U.S state of Alaska.
  • It is the smallest of the three territories and makes up approximately 4.8% of the entire area of Canada.
  • The territory is named after the Yukon River, which is the longest river in the Yukon.
  • According to a Canadian census in 2006, the majority of the territory’s population were of European descent, although a large proportion of the population is First Nations people from communities across the territory.
  • The Yukon has the highest percentage (49.5%) of people who have no religious affiliation in Canada.
  • The First Nations communities in the Yukon make up about 25% of the population, and their culture is highly reflected in the territory.
  • The Yukon obtained a recognizable local government in 1895 when it separated from the Northwest Territories (located east of the Yukon) into its own territory.
  • Yukon is allocated one seat in the Senate of Canada, and the entire territory makes up one riding (electoral district) in the House of Commons of Canada.
  • There has been some talk in the past about Yukon becoming a province of Canada (this would be Canada’s 11th province), but the population is far too sparse for that to come to fruition.

HISTORY OF THE YUKON

  • Yukon’s original inhabitants are estimated to have arrived over 20,000 years ago by migrating from Asia using the land bridge.
  • Animal bones that were tampered with by humans were found in the Old Crow area (northern Yukon) and date back to 25,000-40,000 years ago.
  • The main part of the Yukon territory was inhabited by Athabaskan tribes, including Gwitchin Indians, Han tribes, Northern and Southern Tutchone, Kaska Indians, and Tagish.
  • In some places, Inuit (Eskimo) people live, as well as Tlingit, the latter of which can be seen pictured to the right.
  • Trade relations began when Russian explorers started trading with the First Nations people along the Alaskan coast, and this began around the 18th century.
  • Around the 19th century, Europeans began making their way north in search of trade opportunities for the Hudson’s Bay Company, creating trade posts along the way.
  • Following explorers and fur traders came the Anglican and Roman Catholic missionaries to try and convert the First Nations.
  • When the Klondike Gold Rush hit, Canada had trouble maintaining the exercising government authority over the border between Alaska (U.S) and Canada.
  • The North-West Mounted Police set up control posts armed with guns to monitor the borders and enforce the strict rules for entry into the area.
  • The construction of the Alaska Highway, which opened during WWII, opened up the territory to traffic and has since been recognized as a scenic route for travelers.
  • In the 1950s and 1960s, other highways throughout the Yukon were constructed, and mining activity revived.

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE OF THE YUKON

  • Yukon is bordered by the United States (Alaska) to the left, and the Northwest Territories to the right, following the divide between the Yukon Basin and the Mackenzie River drainage basin.
  • Most of the Yukon is in the watershed of the Yukon River, and there are several small glacier-fed lakes to be found throughout the territory.
  • Mount Logan (Canada’s highest point), as well as a handful of other national parks, nature reserves, and even a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are all located in Yukon.
  • There is no other place that gets as cold as the Yukon gets in North America during what’s called “extreme cold snaps”.
  • Yukon contains a variety of mountain ranges, plateaus, and river valleys.
  • Yukon includes more than 100 active volcanic centers due to its proximity to the Pacific Ring of Fire.
  • Black spruce, white spruce, quaking aspen, and balsam poplar are popular trees in Yukon.
  • Animals found in the Yukon include caribou (pictured above), moose, wolves, deer, coyotes, cougars, lynx, and several types of bears (grizzly, black, and polar).
  • Many fish, including Pacific salmon, rainbow trout, and chars, can be found in the Yukon River.

Yukon Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Yukon across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Yukon worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Yukon, a territory in northwest Canada, which is wild, mountainous, and sparsely populated.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • The Mountains of Yukon
  • Yukon Quiz
  • The Hudson’s Bay Company
  • Match the Animal
  • Believe it or Not!
  • Yukon Wordsearch
  • The Klondike Gold Rush
  • Yukon Crossword
  • Yukon Acrostic
  • Postcard from Yukon

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Link will appear as Yukon Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 27, 2023

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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