Yukon is one of the three territories of Canada, located in the country’s NorthWestern-most corner.

The Yukon territory is sparsely populated, with only about 31,500 inhabitants in an area almost as large as Spain or Sweden.

To the outsider, the Yukon Territory remains inextricably associated with the rush for gold in the Klondike region at the end of the 19th century. The territory still depends largely on mining.

Its mountainous terrain and severe climate have discouraged settlement and the development of other important economic activities. Furthermore, most of the minerals are produced by mining operations that require a high degree of technology but relatively few workers.

The Yukon presents a major challenge to modern technology because of the existence of permanently frozen earth, known as permafrost, which lies just below the ground surface. Permafrost blankets the Arctic zones and extends into many southern parts of the Yukon.

Any warmth, whether from household heating or spells of mild weather, is likely to melt the top layers of the permafrost. As a result, roadbeds and building foundations have to be insulated from the permafrost to prevent them from sinking.

Within the Kluane National Park and Reserve in SouthWestern Yukon is Mount Logan, at 5,959 metres (19,551 ft) the highest mountain in Canada and second highest in North America (after Mount McKinley).

Of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories, the Yukon is the only one which is not further subdivided into census divisions — instead, the whole territory constitutes a single census division.

The territory is named after the Yukon River, which means "great river" in Gwich’in.

The capital, Whitehorse, is also the largest city with more than two thirds of the population. The second largest is Dawson City, which was the capital until 1952.