Yukon ( (listen) YOO-kon; French: [jykɔ̃]; formerly called Yukon Territory and sometimes referred to as The Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 40,232 people as of the 2021 Census. Whitehorse, the territorial capital, is the largest settlement in any of the three territories.Yukon was split from the North-West Territories in 1898 as the Yukon Territory. The federal government's Yukon Act, which received royal assent on March 27, 2002, established Yukon as the territory's official name, though Yukon Territory is also still popular in usage and Canada Post continues to use the territory's internationally approved postal abbreviation of YT. In 2021, territorial government policy was changed so that “The Yukon” would be recommended for use in official territorial government materials.Though officially bilingual (English and French), the Yukon government also recognizes First Nations languages.
At 5,959 m (19,551 ft), Yukon's Mount Logan, in Kluane National Park and Reserve, is the highest mountain in Canada and the second-highest on the North American continent (after Denali in the U.S. state of Alaska). Most of the Yukon has a subarctic climate, characterized by long, cold winters and brief, warm summers. The Arctic Ocean coast has a tundra climate.
Notable rivers include the Yukon River as well as the Pelly, Stewart, Peel, White, Liard, and Tatshenshini rivers.
1898Jun, 13
Yukon Territory is formed, with Dawson chosen as its capital.
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Events on 1898
- 20Apr
Spanish-American War
President William McKinley signed a joint resolution to Congress for declaration of War against Spain, beginning the Spanish-American War. - 10Jun
United States Marine Corps
Spanish-American War: U.S. Marines land on the island of Cuba. - 3Jul
Battle of Santiago de Cuba
A Spanish squadron, led by Pascual Cervera y Topete, is defeated by an American squadron under William T. Sampson in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba. - 23Aug
Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration
The Southern Cross Expedition, the first British venture of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, departs from London. - 13Sep
Photographic film
Hannibal Goodwin patents celluloid photographic film.