Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories is a territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately 1,127,711.92 square kilometres (435,412.01 sq mi) and a 2025 estimated population of 45,848, it is the second-largest and second-most populous of the three territories in Northern Canada. Under its modern borders, the Northwest Territories consists of a large part of Denendeh—traditional land of the Dene—and most of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (known as Inuvialuit Nunangit Sannaiqtuaq in Inuinnaqtun)—traditional land of the Western Canadian Inuit. The territory also contains some land traditionally used by Cree and Métis peoples. Its capital and most populous community is Yellowknife, the only city in the territory; its population was 20,340 as of the 2021 census. It became the territorial capital in 1967, following recommendations by the Carrothers Commission.