Quick Facts about Canadian Arctic
The Canadian High Arctic lies north of mainland Canada, which consists of 94 major islands and 36,469 minor islands with a total of 1.4 million square kilometre. The largest islands are Baffin, Victoria, Ellesmere, Banks and Devon. These islands are separated by large channels from less than 100 meter to about 600 meter deep.
The average annual temperature are as low as −20°C in the north and −6°C in southern Baffin Island. For couple months during the summer, it may rise above freezing. The sea ice cover is complete in winter throughout the archipelago with an average thickness of 1.5 to 2 meter. With recent years' thinner ice cover, passenger ships are now common in late summer to sail through the Northwest Passage.
These High Arctic islands are home to Peary caribou, muskox, Arctic fox, Arctic wolf, lemming and Arctic hare along with 60 species of birds. The surrounding seas are home to the polar bear, the walrus, seal and whale including narwhal and the beluga.
The Inuit and their predecessors have lived in the Canadian High Arctic for the past 4,000 years. The majority of Inuit people continue live in the north including scattered settlements throughout these High Arctic islands.
Top 5 Reasons to Visit Canadian Arctic
-
Immerse yourself in the total wildness of over 36,000 islands with polar climate
-
Get up close to Arctic's wildlife including polar bears, narwhal, beluga, muskox and more!
-
Sail through the famous Northwest Passage following Franklin's footsteps
-
Visit Inuit communities and celebrate their culture
-
Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights from October to April
