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Yukon: Quick Facts

Quick Facts

• Capital - Whitehorse
• Motto - none
• Flower - Fireweed
• Entered Confederation - 13 June 1898
• Members of the Legislative Assembly - 16
• Members of Parliament - 1
• Senators - 1
• Population, 1998 - 31,573
• Average annual family income, 1996 - n/a
• Employment rate, 1997 - n/a
• Per capita health expenditures, 1995 - $3,278
• Inflation as measured by the CPI, 1997 - 2.2%
• Average weekly earnings, 1997 - $706.18
• Housing starts, 1997 - n/a
• Provincial sales tax, 1998 - 0%
• Urban population, 1996 - 60%
• GDP per capita, 1995 - $31,567
• Land area out of Canada's total area - 4.8%

Sources: Statistics Canada, 1999 Canadian Encyclopedia

Climate

Above the Arctic Circle (latitude 66o north), the Yukon is known as "the land of the midnight sun" because for three months in summer, sunlight is almost continuous. In winter, however, darkness sets in and the light of day is not seen for a quarter of the year.

The Yukon has a subarctic climate. The high altitude of much of the territory and the semi-arid climate provide relatively warm summers with temperatures frequently reaching 25oC or more during the long summer days. In winter the temperature ranges between +4 and -50oC in the south and slightly colder farther north. Temperatures in the Yukon are usually more extreme than those experienced in the southern provinces of Canada, for example the average temperature in Whitehorse in January is -18.7. The average in July is 14.0, with the lowest ever recorded -52.2, and the highest 34.4. The territorial low was -62.2 and the high was 36.1C.

Time Zone

The Yukon shares the Pacific Time Zone with British Columbia.