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Northwest Territories: Economy

A large portion to the Northwest Territories population continues to rely on the Aboriginal peoples' traditional subsistence activities; fishing, hunting and trapping. Fur harvesting continues to be very important, supplementing the income of many Aboriginal families.

Mining is by far the largest private industrial sector of the N.W.T. economy. Oil and gas exploration and development are also important and diamond mining is expected to be a major industry in the 21st century.

Other activities such as sports fishing and big-game hunting play a small role. Recently, with the advent of adventure tourism, a new tourism service industry has become increasingly important.