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Yukon
is located in northwestern North America, and borders Alaska (west),
British Columbia (south), and Northwest Territories (east). Best
known for gold rush of the Klondike region, mining still is an important
part of this rough and cold terrain. However, today white-water
rafters and fishermen outnumber gold panners. Nearly 300,000 tourists
make summer pilgrimages to the Arctic frontier. They find glaciated
peaks in Kluane Park is one of the highest-untouched wilderness
areas in North America. Natives in the area still hunt caribou and
moose. Winter temperatures fall to under -50 degrees and permafrost
makes construction costly.
Population & Geography
Total
Area: 482,443 sq km / 186,272 sq mi1
Population:
31,000 (2007)1
Capital
City: Whitehorse
Largest
Metro Areas: N/A1
Economy
GDP:
$1.366 billion USD (2006)1
GDP
per capita: $44,060
USD (2006)1
Unemployment
Rate: 9.4% (2006)1
Government
Premier:
Dennis Fentie (YP) (2007)2
Legislative
Assembly: 10 Yukon Party (including Premier), 5 New Democrats,
3 Liberal (2007)2
Other Information
Federal Representation:
1 Liberal (2007)3
Origin
of Name: From the Locheux native word "Yu-kun-ah"
which means "great river." It refers to the Yukon River
which flows across the Yukon territory into Alaska.4
If Yukon were admitted into the Union today..
Area
Rank: 1st
biggest Territory/Commonwealth (bigger than Puerto Rico, biggest
in the Union).5
Population
Rank: 6th
most populous Territory/Commonwealth (bigger than Midway Islands,
smaller than American Samoa).5
GDP
Rank: 54th biggest economy in US (bigger than Virgin Islands, smaller than Guam).6
Congressmen:
1 House Representative
Electoral
Votes: 0
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