GEOG 2OC3 Lecture 11: WEEK 11: The Far North
27 Jun 2018
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WEEK 11
The Far North
The far north is also referred to as: the Territorial North. This region contains the territories of Yukon,
Northwest territories and Nunavut.
The physical boundaries of the Far North are the Boreal tree line of the south and the Arctic ocean on
the north.
Much of the north is tundra and permafrost landscape.
The Far North is one of the least populated regions in Canada, with sparse communities of mostly
natives.
The federal government has a much more prominent role to play in policy making (because territories
are different from provinces in terms of political representation and their ability to manage social and
economic policies).
Nordicity: is used to measure the degree of “northernness” in specific places. This index combines 10
human and physical variables for a quantitive measure of northernness. Polar units are used to denote
the degree of nordicity in a region.
The absolute north pole has a nordicity value of 1000 polar units, whereas the southern limit of
the Far North (around the Boreal tree line) has a value of 200 polar units.
The 10 variables used to calculate the nordicity index are as follows:
1. Latitude
2. Summer heat
3. Annual cold
4. Types of Ice
5. Annual precipitation
6. Natural Vegetation
7. Accessibility by land or sea
8. Accessibility by air
9. Population
10. Economic activity
Federal and territorial governments use nordicity to determine isolation allowances for employees,
which are necessary to attract skilled professionals and workers to the region.
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Nordicity is a significant part of northern identity. The landscape has a sense of “northernness” , and
a resource abundances coupled with the distance from major CMA’s gives it a sense of isolation.
Many view the north as the “last frontier” to be conquered in Canada.
Another feature of the Far North is the Indigenous population. There are proportionally more
indigenous peoples living in this region than any other area in Canada. This table shows just how stark
the differences are between the Indigenous proportions of populations in the north. The differences
between Indigenous culture and modern values have caused many problems for these peoples to
continue their traditional ways of life.
The territorial north contains 0.3% of Canada’s population, 0.5% of Canada’s GDP and 39% of Canadas
area!
The Near North and the Far North together comprise nearly 80% of Canada’s land mass, with less than
10% of the country’s total population.
The largest urban centers in the territorial north are Whitehorse (26,888), Yellowknife (19,231), and
Iqaluit (6,254)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
