Yukon, also known as The Yukon Territory (officially YT, but sometimes YK), is one of Canada's three territories, in the country's far northwest. It has a population of about 31,500, and its capital is Whitehorse, with a population of 23,272. People from the Yukon are known as Yukoners.
The territory is named after the Yukon River, "Yukon" meaning "Great River" in Gwich'in.
Within the Kluane National Park and Reserve in southwestern Yukon is Mount Logan, at 5,959 metres (19,551 ft) the highest mountain in Canada and second highest in North America (after Mount McKinley).
Of Canada's 13 provinces and territories, the Yukon is the only one which is not further subdivided into census divisions - instead, the whole territory constitutes a single census division.
The territory's historical major industry is mining, including lead, zinc, silver, gold, asbestos and copper. Indeed, the territory owes its existence to the famous Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s. Having acquired the land from the Hudson's Bay Company in 1870, the Canadian government divided the territory off of the Northwest Territories in 1898 to fill the need for local government created by the influx of prospectors during the Klondike Gold Rush.
Thousands of these prospectors, led by the chance at gold, flooded the area, creating a colourful period recorded by authors such as Robert W. Service and Jack London. (See also Royal Canadian Mounted Police.) The memory of this period, as well as the territory's scenic wonders and outdoor recreation opportunities, makes tourism the second most important industry.
Manufacturing, including furniture, clothing, and handicrafts, follows in importance, along with hydroelectricity. The traditional industries of trapping and fishing have declined.
Today, the government sector is by far the biggest employer in the territory, directly employing approximately 5,000 out of a labour force of 12,500.
Yukon College is a community college in the Canadian territory of Yukon. Its main campus is in Whitehorse, Yukon. The college was founded in 1983, replacing the Yukon Vocational and Technical Training Centre, which had been in operation since the 1960s. The chancellor is Sam Johnston.
The college participates in the University of the Arctic and cooperates with the University of Regina in the Yukon Native Teacher Education Program.
Whitehorse International Airport serves as the air transport infrastructure hub, with direct flights to Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Fairbanks, and Frankfurt (summer months). Every Yukon community is served by an airport. The communities of Dawson City, Yukon, Old Crowe, Yukon, and Inuvik, NWT have regular passenger service through Air North. Air charter industry exists primarily to serve the tourism and mining exploration industries.
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