If the Yukon is the far north at its most accessible, the Northwest Territories (NWT) is the region at its most uncompromising. Just three roads nibble at the edges of this almost unimaginably vast area, which occupies a third of Canada’s landmass - about the size of India - but contains only 60,000 people, almost half of whom live in or around Yellowknife , the territories’ peculiarly overblown capital. Unless you’re taking the adventurous and rewarding Dempster Highway from Dawson City across the tundra to Inuvik , Yellowknife will probably feature on any trip to the NWT, as it’s the hub of the (rather expensive) flight network servicing the area’s widely dispersed communities.

Otherwise most visitors are here to fish or canoe, to hunt or watch wildlife, or to experience the Inuit aboriginal cultures and ethereal landscapes. More for convenience than any political or geographical reasons, the NWT was formally divided into eight regions . From 1999 a new two-way division has applied, the eastern portion of the NWT having been renamed Nunavut , a separate entity administered by and on behalf of the region’s aboriginal peoples. One effect has been the renaming of most settlements with Inuit names, though in many cases the old English-language names appear in much literature. Nunavut and the “old” western NWT issue their own tourist material, and you should obtain a copy of their respective Arctic Travellers’ Nunavut Vacation Planner and Explorers’ Guide brochures. These summarize accommodation options, airline connections, many of the available tours - costing anything from $50 to $5000 - and the plethora of outfitters who provide the equipment and backup essential for any but the most superficial trip to the region.