Where is this region located?
It is in the northernmost (furthest North) part of the country, and covers the Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. It also covers parts of northern Quebec and the most northern parts of Newfoundland and Labrador. Many people think that the Arctic Region is only Nunavut, the Yukon and Northwest Territories when really, the Arctic is everything that is north of the 60 N parallel (latitude). |
Alexander Mackenzie learned from the First Nations people about river routes to the northern sea. In the late 1700s, he explored what would become the Mackenzie River, following it to the Arctic Ocean. Although he did not find the Northwest Passage, Mackenzie became the first European to cross the continent by land, from east to west. In the 1800s, explorers were able to map the many islands in the Arctic Region. Often their ships were trapped in the ice when winter set in. Some expeditions were trapped for years, and often the sailors would rely on the local Inuit for help. Some were not so lucky. The voyage headed by Sir John Franklin, also an English explorer, would end in the deaths of himself and his crew.
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That's a Whale of A Tale!
Did you know that perfume used to be made from whale oil? Did you know that whale oil also used to be used as a source of fuel? Well now you do! As early as the 1500's whalers who lived in Europe knew that there were many whales in the Arctic - so guess where they wanted to go. By the 1600's European Whalers were coming every year to the Arctic Region. While there they began to trade with the Inuit, who were already experienced whalers of course. The Inuit had always used the whales for food and fuel, and they now traded this skill for new things from Europe (things like tools, cloth, metal goods, and food such as biscuits). The European whalers also hired the Inuit people to be pilots, hunters and seamstresses. Their knowledge of the land, the water, and the many islands was extremely important to the whalers. The most important location for whaling in the Arctic became Cumberland Sound. There, whalers established the first permanent whaling stations and lived there year round. |