Yukon
Yukon
| |
|---|---|
| Coordinates: 63°N 135°W / 63°N 135°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Before confederation | District of Yukon |
| Confederation | June 13, 1898 (9th) |
| Capital (and largest city) | Whitehorse |
| Largest metro | Whitehorse |
| Government | |
| • Type | Parliamentary system |
| • Commissioner | Adeline Webber |
| • Premier | Currie Dixon |
| Legislature | Yukon Legislative Assembly |
| Federal representation | Parliament of Canada |
| House seats | 1 of 343 (0.3%) |
| Senate seats | 1 of 105 (1%) |
| Area | |
• Total | 482,443 km2 (186,272 sq mi) |
| • Land | 474,391 km2 (183,163 sq mi) |
| • Water | 8,052 km2 (3,109 sq mi) 1.7% |
| • Rank | 9th |
| 4.8% of Canada | |
| Population (2021) | |
• Total | 40,232 |
• Estimate (Q4 2025) | 48,261 |
| • Rank | 12th |
| • Density | 0.08/km2 (0.21/sq mi) |
| Demonyms | Yukoner French: Yukonnais(e) |
| Official languages | |
| GDP | |
| • Rank | 13th |
| • Total (2017) | C$3.089 billion |
| • Per capita | C$75,141 (3rd) |
| HDI | |
| • HDI (2021) | 0.930 — Very high (4th) |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 |
| Canadian postal abbr. | YT |
| Postal code prefix | |
| ISO 3166 code | CA-YT |
| Flower | Fireweed |
| Tree | Subalpine fir |
| Bird | Common raven |
| Website | yukon |
| Rankings include all provinces and territories | |
Yukon (Canadian French: [jukõ]) is a territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada's westernmost and smallest territory by land area. As of the 2021 census, Yukon is the middle of the three territories in terms of population, but the most densely populated. As of the 2025 fourth quarter estimates Yukon had a population of 48,261. Whitehorse, the territorial capital, is the largest city in northern Canada.
Yukon was split from the Northwest Territories by a federal statute in 1898 as the Yukon Territory. The current governing legislation is the Yukon Act passed by the federal Parliament in 2002. That act established Yukon as the territory's official name, although Yukon Territory remains in popular usage. Canada Post uses the territory's internationally approved postal abbreviation of YT. In 2021, territorial government policy was changed so that The Yukon is recommended for use in official territorial government materials.
Although officially bilingual (English and French), the Yukon government recognizes First Nations languages.
At 5,959 metres (19,551 feet), 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 coastal area along the Arctic Ocean has a tundra climate.
Notable rivers include the Yukon, Pelly, Stewart, Peel, White, Liard, and Tatshenshini.