Absolute Location of Nunavut: Canada's Northernmost Territory

Geographic Coordinates

Nunavut spans a vast Arctic expanse bounded by:

• Latitude: 60°00′ N (mainland southern boundary) to 83°06′ N (Cape Columbia, Ellesmere Island — Canada's northernmost point).
• Longitude: 60°00′ W (eastern boundary, Baffin Island) to 141°00′ W (western boundary, Yukon/Alaska border).

Centroid (approx.): 70° N, 90° W.

Political Boundaries

• North: Arctic Ocean (North Pole 800 km from Alert).
• South: Manitoba (60° N), Hudson Bay.
• East: Baffin Bay, Davis Strait (Greenland 300 km across); maritime boundary with Greenland (1973 treaty).
• West: Northwest Territories (112°–141° W meridians).
• Southeast: Newfoundland and Labrador (Killiniq Island divided).

Size & Context

• Area: 2,093,190 km² (808,185 sq mi) — Canada's largest territory (21% of national landmass); world's 5th largest subnational division.
• Population: ~40,000 (2023) — 85% Inuit; 25 communities, no roads connecting them.
• Capital: Iqaluit (63°45′ N, 68°31′ W) — on Baffin Island.

Physiographic Regions

• Canadian Shield: Mainland (ancient Precambrian rock, lakes, boreal forest).
• Arctic Archipelago: Islands (Baffin, Ellesmere, Victoria, Devon) — mountains, fjords, ice caps.
• Arctic Lowlands: Coastal plains, permafrost, tundra.

Nunavut's absolute location places it firmly in the High Arctic, with most territory above the Arctic Circle—defining its climate, ecology, and Inuit way of life.