Situated in Canada's mountainous northwest corner, the Yukon Territory covers 455,400 square kilometres. According to the 2001 census, just under 29,000 people live here. Of those, two-thirds are in the capital, Whitehorse. Smaller centres include historic Dawson City, the transport hub of Watson Lake, and Haines Junction, the gateway to Kluane National Park. About 14 per cent of Yukoners are aboriginal. Roughly 10 per cent are immigrants, while another 53 per cent moved here from elsewhere in Canada.
Despite the Yukon's fabled gold rush, mining is now rare and the economy has been in the doldrums for years. Though oil-and-gas exploration and gem prospecting are on the upswing, government is the major employer, along with seasonal tourism. The average family income is $69,564, and unemployment is 11.6 per cent.
