The YukonThe Yukon Territory, 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's historical major industry is miningand owes its existence to the famous Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s.
The Yukon is home to many cultures whose unique customs and traditions give the North the cultural diversity which is part of its charm. First Nations people account for a full quarter of the population, which also has a dynamic French-speaking population and is the home of approximately 6,300 Canadian immigrants.
Manufacturing, including furniture, clothing, and handicrafts, follows in importance, along with hydroelectricity. 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.
Major land transportation routes include the Alaska Highway, which passes through Whitehorse; the Klondike Highway going from tidewater in Skagway, Alaska through Whitehorse to Dawson City; the Haines Highway from Haines, Alaska to Haines Junction, Yukon, and the Dempster Highway from the Klondike Highway to Inuvik, Northwest Territories. All these highways, except for the Dempster, are paved.
