Government of Yukon
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Yukon covers 483,450 square kilometres in the northwestern corner of Canada. It is a critical habitat for rare and endangered flowers, big game animals, birds of prey and migratory birds.
| Geography | Flora and Fauna |
Yukon is in the Canadian Cordillera, a series of mountain ranges and valleys that stretches along the Pacific coast of North America. The territory is separated from the Pacific coast by the Alaskan panhandle.
The broad Yukon Interior Plateau is in central Yukon, between the western Coastal Ranges, and the Selwyn and Ogilvie Mountains on the east. A tundra plain stretches along the Arctic coast.
The Arctic coastline stretches 200 kilometres along the Beaufort Sea. One of Yukon's Arctic islands is located five kilometres off the north shore, Herschel Island.
Mount Logan is the highest point in Canada at 5,971 metres. It's located in the St. Elias mountains in southwest Yukon. At least 20 other peaks in these ranges rise over 3,000 metres.
The Yukon River is the second longest river in Canada and drains almost two-thirds of the territory. It runs 3,185 kilometres from northern British Columbia to the Bering Sea. The territory's largest lakes - Kluane, Teslin, Bennett and Laberge - are located near the headwaters of the Yukon River.
Other major rivers include:
The Alsek River flows through southwestern Yukon to the Gulf of Alaska.
The Liard River flows through southeastern Yukon into the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories.
The Peel River drains the Wernecke and Oglivie mountains in northeastern Yukon.
The Firth, Babbage and Blow Rivers flow through Yukon's North Slope to the Beaufort Sea.
North and west-central Yukon were not covered by glaciers during the last Ice Age. Scientists say the ice-free corridor allowed animals and the ancestors of North American aboriginal peoples to migrate from Asia across the Beringia land bridge.
Today, the largest non-polar ice field in the world is located in the St. Elias mountain ranges. The icefield, believed to be 700 metres deep in the heart of the mountains, sends glacial fingers as long as 30 kilometres down valleys between peaks.
Yukon has a sub-arctic climate. Winters are cold with long dark nights. Summers are mild with long sunny days. Above the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn't set on June 21st and doesn't rise on December 21st.
Climatic influences vary across the territory. Cold air masses from the Arctic dominate the northern part of Yukon. Warmer air masses from the North Pacific moderate temperatures in southwestern Yukon. However, most of the Pacific Ocean's moisture and warmth doesn't reach central Yukon because of the St. Elias and coastal mountains.
The territory is relatively dry throughout the year.
Average January temperatures range from -20 C to -32 C. An extreme low of -62.8 C was recorded at Snag in the western Yukon in February 1947. The average July temperature is about 14 C, although summer days can reach upwards of 32 C.
Yukon's vegetation is classified as sub-arctic and alpine.
Boreal forests cover 57 per cent of the territory. White spruce, black spruce, lodgepole pine, Alpine fir, aspen and balsam poplar are the most common tree species.
There are more than 200 species of wildflowers in Yukon. They include anemones, yellow potentilla, monkshood, arctic poppy, harebell, wild rose, lupines, lousewort, wintergreen (pyrola) and beardtongue (penstemon).
Tall magenta fireweed is one of the most common flowers.
Alpine areas are dotted with moss campions, wild forget-me-nots and mountain avens. Orchids include the white bog orchid, ladies tresses and the round leaf orchid.
Yukon is home to seven species of large mammals including North America's largest population of grizzly bears and Dall sheep.
The grizzly bear is a vulnerable species. Grizzlies range over the whole territory preferring open, alpine areas. One of the highest concentrations of grizzlies in North America is in Kluane National Park.
Black bears are also found in Yukon. They are mostly seen at lower elevations and in forested areas.
The polar bear is seen occasionally along the Arctic coast and in the area of Herschel Island.
About 18,000 Dall sheep live in dry, grassy alpine areas. The largest populations are in the Kluane ranges, Coast anges and Western Yukon. About 4,000 darker-coloured Stone sheep are also found in Yukon.
A small number of mountains goats are in the southern third of the territory. Most of Yukon's estimated 1,400 goats live in the Kluane National Park area, and the Itsi and Logan ranges of the Mackenzie Mountains.
The Porcupine caribou herd is one of the last migratory herds of barren ground caribou in the world. This herd - about 180,000 animals - travel along the northern slope. The herd travels more than 750 kilometres annually from its calving grounds on the Arctic coast to wintering grounds in the southern Oglivie, Wernecke and Richardson Mountains.
Woodland caribou are found in the territory in smaller numbers. Several thousand mountain caribou live in smaller herds in the southern Yukon and in the Pelly Mountains, the Burwash Uplands, around Watson Lake and in the Carcross-Tagish area.
Wolves can be found in the same habitats as moose and caribou, travelling with herds from winter to summer ranges. Yukon has a healthy population of wolves.
Moose are found throughout Yukon. They are mostly seen in sub-alpine shrub, lowland bogs, burn areas and floodplains.
Elk, muskox and mule deer are also found in small numbers in Yukon. Elk and muskox were reintroduced to the territory after extermination in the 1800s. Muskox are seen only on the tundra along the northern coast. Elk are found in the Takhini River burn area west of Whitehorse and in the Sifton Ranges of southern Yukon. Mule deer can also be found in southern Yukon and north as far as the Pelly and Ross rivers.
Fourteen species of smaller furbearers live in Yukon. They include lynx, marten, muskrat, beaver, wolverine, arctic fox, coloured fox, coyote, mink and fisher.
Approximately 214 species of birds can be found in Yukon.
There are several major migration routes for waterfowl through southern and central Yukon. Trumpeter and tundra swans, snow and Brant geese, northern pintail, common eider, oldsquaw, greater and lesser scaup, and sandhill cranes travel to Yukon annually.
At least 21 species of hawks and owls can be seen in Yukon. Bald eagles and gold eagles are common. There are also healthy populations of gyrfalcons and peregrine falcons. Seven species of grouse and ptarmigan live here year-round.
More than 200,000 fish are caught annually in Yukon by residents and visiting sports anglers.
Popular species include lake trout, arctic grayling, northern pike and dolly varden. Commercial fishermen prefer chinook, coho and chum salmon, and whitefish.