Yukon

Yukon (Canadian French: [juˈkõ]) is a territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s westernmost territory and the smallest territory by land area. As of the 2021 census, Yukon is the middle territory in terms of population, but the most densely populated. Yukon has an estimated population of 47,126 as of 2025. Whitehorse, the territorial capital, is the largest settlement.

Yukon was split from the Northwest Territories by a federal statute in 1898 as the Yukon Territory. The current governing legislation is a new statute passed by the federal Parliament in 2002, the Yukon Act. That act established Yukon as the territory's official name, although Yukon Territory remains in popular usage. Canada Post uses the territory's internationally approved postal abbreviation of YT. In 2021, territorial government policy was changed so that The Yukon would be recommended for use in official territorial government materials.

Although officially bilingual (English and French), the Yukon government recognizes First Nations languages.

At 5,959 m (19,551 ft), Yukon's Mount Logan, in Kluane National Park and Reserve, is the highest mountain in Canada and the second-highest on the North American continent (after Denali in the U.S. state of Alaska). Most of the Yukon has a subarctic climate, characterized by long, cold winters and brief, warm summers. The coastal area along the Arctic Ocean has a tundra climate.

Notable rivers include the Yukon, Pelly, Stewart, Peel, White, Liard, and Tatshenshini.