Info about Nunavut

As Canada prepared to bid farewell to the 20th century, it welcomed a new addition to Confederation when the eastern section of the Northwest Territories was carved into the country's third territory, Nunavut - created on April 1, 1999. Compared to Canada's other territories and provinces, Nunavut has the smallest population, with only about 28,000 residents, 85 per cent of whom are Inuit and in whose language, Inuktitut, Nunavut means "our land." But what the new territory lacks in numbers of people it more than makes up for in geographic size. Nunavut's 26 communities are spread across nearly two million square kilometres, almost one-fifth of Canada's total land mass. Nunavut's capital, Iqaluit, located on the mouth of Frobisher Bay, is also the territory's largest city and has the longest airport runway in the Canadian Arctic, receiving regular flights from Ottawa and Montréal. In addition to its vast territory and cultural makeup that make it unique, Nunavut also operates unlike any other Canadian jurisdiction. The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, adopted by Canada's Parliament in 1993, gave the territory's Inuit the right to self-government. They chose to pursue their aspirations to self-determination through a public government structure. The territorial government headed by a Premier and a Cabinet and Nunavut's elected Legislative Assembly incorporate Inuit values and beliefs, and conducts business primarily in Inuktitut, though Inuinnaqtun (Inuktitut in written form using Roman spelling), English and French are also used. Still in its infancy, Nunavut faces several challenges. Among them: the high cost of transporting goods from the south to consumers throughout the territory. But Nunavut's best hope for the future might lie within its human resources. With some 60 per cent of the territory's population under the age of 25, young Nunavut has the youngest Canadians.

Tunngasugitti - welcome to the Government of Nunavut

Nunavut -- "our land" in the Inuktitut language - has been home to Inuit for millennia and part of Canada for more than a century. Embracing both traditional knowledge and values and the new opportunities presented by technologies like the Internet, the Government of Nunavut now provides a wide range of services tailored to the unique needs of approximately 29,500 residents.

Facts About Nunavut
Read about our people and culture, wildlife, official symbols, background about Nunavut Land Claim, and much more.

Legislative Assembly of Nunavut
Look up MLA contact information, read up on Acts and regulations, Throne Speech, Hansard, status of Bills and more.

Nunavut Business Information
Nunavut is a place of great economic growth. Read the latest Requests for Proposals about the Inuit/Northern Preference and information about Starting a Business.

Development of Suicide Prevention Strategy
Discussion Paper Released to Engage Nunavummiut on Development of Suicide Prevention Strategy

10th Anniversary Nunavut!

Council of the Federation Literacy Award

Commissioner's Arts Award