Why is Northern Canada almost empty?

Canada is the second largest country in the world after Russia, and it is also one of the least densely populated. There are in fact 38 million people distributed in a very uneven manner over more than 9 million km². A large part of the territory is empty or very little inhabited. Most of the inhabitants are located less than 200 km from the border with the United States in the south of the country. The north is a very sparsely populated territory, mainly due to its natural conditions.

What you need to know about northern Canada

This term designates the Canadian territories located above the 60th parallel and they constitute nearly 40% from the country. These are territories whose latitude is close to those of Scandinavia and the Arctic Circle. The long winters are extremely harsh and the summers are very short.

The geography of northern Canada

The Middle North lies above the still densely populated Canadian lands, near the border with the United States. It is followed by the Far North, characterized by an arctic climate and recognizable by the absence of tree vegetation on its territory. Finally, the Far North includes the Arctic islands, in the heart of an ice floe that hardly thaws.

Northern Canada contains the provinces of Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. There is great diversity in the landscapes: snow-capped mountains, glacial ocean, fjords, glacial lakes and tundra.

In these lands of record and excess, we find in particular the largest island in the country (Baffin in Nunavut) which is also the 5th largest in the world, the deepest lake (Great Slave Lake) and the largest mountain. highest (Mount Logan in the Yukon).

Inhospitable terrain

Its land is poorly suited to agriculture, with landscapes of ice, stone and snow. The conditions of the Canadian north also do not facilitate the establishment of infrastructure or businesses. The high cost of living, geographical distance, heating, food supply and mobility are daily challenges for the population of these territories.

The northern territories are largely unexploited, except for a few military bases and natural resource extraction sites. The few inhabited areas are most often found in the south or around the coasts of lakes, rivers or at the edge of the ocean. If the population concentrates on the coasts, it is to work in industries such as fishing, the processing of fish products (canning) or the exploitation of minerals (tar sands).

There are some large cities, such as Iqaluit, with all the usual services. Thanks to the presence of airports in the main cities, the north is connected to the rest of the country.

Extremely harsh natural conditions

The north of the country is a region where humans rarely venture due to an environment with strong natural constraints. They make human activities very difficult. In these icy vastnesses and because of the permafrost, agriculture is almost impossible to implement. The population is very scattered across the territory with a predominance of indigenous peoples.

Climatic conditions

It is extremely cold there for much of the year. The coldest temperatures in the country are recorded there, with a record of -63°C at Snag in the Yukon in 1947. In large northern cities, it is not unusual for temperatures to drop below -40° C in winter. Extreme cold is often accompanied by strong winds and the weather is unpredictable.

Once summer arrives, the snow is replaced by mud, and temperatures rarely rise above 20°C. Although humans can adapt to countless environments, conditions in Canada's northern territories remain very dangerous.

Natural dangers

In addition to its wild terrain, the Canadian north also presents many natural hazards.

In winter, avalanches and snowstorms are common. This season is also synonymous with snowfall, blizzards and extreme cold. In mountainous regions, falling ice and rocks also endanger human settlements.

The arrival of sunny days is not always more hospitable. In spring, melting snow can cause landslides, landslides and flooding. In summer, dry weather and wind favor the development and spread of forest fires in wooded regions.

Proximity to the Arctic Circle

The closer we get to the Arctic Circle, the more temperatures drop. They are unbearable in winter, especially when accompanied by freezing wind. the longer the days are in summer and the nights are long in winter. In Yellowknife, more than 19 hours of sunshine were recorded on certain days during the month of June. Indeed, there are sometimes days with 24 hours of light in summer and others with 24 hours of darkness in winter. It is not for nothing that this part of the country is nicknamed “the land of the midnight sun”.

Closest to the Arctic Circle, the landscape is so dry, cold and devoid of anything that it is used as a training base for astronauts.

Who are the inhabitants of northern Canada?

The main inhabitants of these territories are the Inuit. There are other human settlements there, mainly around natural resource extraction sites.

Indigenous communities

Aboriginal populations inhabited Canada before colonization, just like the First Nations Amerindians. The Inuit of northern Canada represent less than a third of the global Inuit population.

Their lifestyle and culture are quite extraordinary to the rest of the earth's population. They demonstrate an extraordinary adaptation to the environment. These are populations whose lives are punctuated by nature and hunting (caribou, seals and walruses). They are located on the coasts, but also on the many islands of northern Canada. For Inuit, life in the Canadian North and in the Arctic Circle in general - is a great source of pride. It indeed represents man's ability to adapt to the most extreme environments in pursuit of a traditional lifestyle based on self-sufficiency.

Other human settlements in northern Canada

As in any other country with large uninhabited lands that are difficult to inhabit, there are industrial, mining and hydrocarbon operations. The soil there is rich in gold, diamonds, oil, gas, zinc, lead, iron or copper. We also note that the gradual melting of ice and permafrost has also made it possible to access new deposits. Moreover, the economy of most cities in the far north is based on the extraction of natural resources.

The mining complexes of northern Canada are synonymous with temporary work. People come there to win a nice ticket, but certainly not to stay there. Mushroom towns grow solely to exploit the land and will empty as soon as the resources dry up.

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