Yukon | History, Population, & Facts | Britannica

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  • Introduction & Quick Facts
  • Land
    • Relief
    • Drainage and soils
    • Climate
    • Plant and animal life
  • People
    • Population composition
    • Settlement patterns
    • Demographic trends
  • Economy
    • Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
    • Resources and power
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  • History
    • Early inhabitants and nonnative settlers
    • The gold rush and territorial status
    • Economic and political development of contemporary Yukon
References & Edit History Facts & Stats Images Yukon flag Yukon. Five Finger Rapids on the upper Yukon River, Yukon, Can. Yukon Physical features of Yukon. Canada Mount St. Elias, St. Elias Mountains, Yukon-U.S. border. Klondike River Cotton grass (Eriophorum) and mosses in the Arctic tundra, northern Yukon, Can. Dawson, Yukon, Canada For Students default image Yukon summary Geography & Travel States & Other Subdivisions
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Yukon territory, Canada Quick Summary Ask the Chatbot Print print Print Please select which sections you would like to print:
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External Websites
  • The Canadian Encyclopedia - Yukon, Canada
  • Official Tourism Site of Yukon, Canada
  • Official Site of the Government of Yukon, Canada
Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
  • Yukon - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
  • Yukon - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
Quick Summary Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: Yukon Territory Written by Kenneth John Rea Professor Emeritus of Economics, University of Toronto. Author of The Political Economy of the Canadian North and others. Kenneth John Rea Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Jan. 19, 2026 •History Table of Contents Table of Contents Quick Summary Ask the Chatbot a Question Top Questions
  • What is the Yukon?
  • Where is the Yukon located in Canada?
  • What is the capital city of the Yukon?
  • What is the climate like in the Yukon?
  • What important events happened during the Yukon Gold Rush?
  • What are some unique plants or animals found in the Yukon?
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News •

‘First of its kind’ database for Yukon salmon looks at chinook and chum more extensively • Jan. 18, 2026, 2:07 AM ET (CBC) ...(Show more) Historians say winter biking goes back more than a century in the Yukon • Jan. 16, 2026, 3:46 AM ET (CBC) Warm snap closes multiple highways in southern Yukon • Jan. 14, 2026, 12:05 PM ET (CBC) Yukon earthquake reveals a fault line hidden beneath glaciers • Jan. 12, 2026, 9:38 PM ET (CBC) Flooding closes businesses in Dawson City, Yukon, after water main break • Jan. 10, 2026, 3:44 AM ET (CBC) Show less
Five Finger Rapids on the upper Yukon River, Yukon, Can.1 of 2
Five Finger Rapids on the upper Yukon River, Yukon, Can.(more)
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Yukon, territory of northwestern Canada, an area of rugged mountains and high plateaus. It is bounded by the Northwest Territories to the east, by British Columbia to the south, and by the U.S. state of Alaska to the west, and it extends northward above the Arctic Circle to the Beaufort Sea. The capital is Whitehorse.

The mineral wealth of Yukon has been known since the famous Klondike gold rush of the later 1890s, but the combination of an Arctic climate and remoteness from markets has limited the economic exploitation of such resources and the development of modern settlement. Instead, the territory remains among the few frontiers on the North American continent, a sparsely populated and largely unspoiled wilderness. Area 186,272 square miles (482,443 square km). Pop. (2021) 40,232; (2023 est.) 45,148.

Quick Facts Yukon flag See article: flag of Yukon Capital: Whitehorse (Show more) Population: (2021) 40,232; (2023 est.) 45,148 (Show more) Date Of Admission: 1898 (Show more) Territorial Motto: none (Show more) Territorial Flower: fireweed (Show more) Seats In House Of Commons: 1 (of 308) (Show more) Time Zone: Pacific (GMT − 8 hours) (Show more) Premier: Sandy Silver (Liberal Party) (Show more) Total Area (Sq Km): 482,443 (Show more) Total Area (Sq Mi): 186,272 (Show more) Formerly: Yukon Territory (Show more) See all related content Show More

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