Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

province) on the south, and the Northwest

Territories (a Canadian territory)

on the east. The Beaufort Sea (a part of

the Arctic Ocean) lies to the north.

Yukon is the ninth largest of Canada’s 13

provinces and territories.

In Yukon, mountains surround a central

plateau, or high, flat area. Mount Logan

rises in the southwest. It is the highest

point in Canada. The Yukon

River flows northwest through

the territory. Yukon’s climate is

cool and dry. The land in the far north is

tundra, a cold area with no trees.

People

About one fifth of the people of the

territory are Native Americans. Most

belong to groups in the Athapaskan language

family. The rest of the people have

European ancestors or mixed Native

American and European roots. Most

people speak English. Smaller groups

speak French or various Native American

languages.

Two thirds of the population lives in

Yukon’s capital and largest city, Whitehorse.

Dawson andWatson Lake are the

next-largest towns. Other communities

in Yukon have populations of several

hundred or less.

Economy

Mining is the most important industry

in Yukon. The territory has one of the

world’s largest deposits of tungsten, a

valuable metal. There are also deposits of

lead, zinc, silver, and gold.

Tourism is important to the territory’s

economy, too. Most visitors come to see

Yukon’s wilderness. Many people hike,

raft, or fish in Kluane National Park and

other areas.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Yukon 97

 

Fishing and the fur trade are other

important activities. Fishers catch

salmon, lake trout, whitefish, and other

fishes. Trappers catch lynx, marten, wolverines,

foxes, muskrat, and beavers for

their furs. Agriculture is only a small

part of the economy.

History

The first people in the Yukon territory

probably came from Asia between

60,000 and 10,000 years ago. Over

time, these people’s descendants developed

the several Native American cultures

of the area.

The area that is now Yukon was one of

the last places in North America to be

visited by non-native people. Explorers

for a fur-trading group called the Hudson’s

Bay Company entered the region

in about 1840. Great Britain had given

this company the right to control trade

in what is now western Canada. In 1870

the Hudson’s Bay Company sold this

land to the new country of Canada.

What is now Yukon then became a part

of Canada’s Northwest Territories.

In 1896 people discovered gold near the

Klondike River, which feeds into the

Yukon River. Thousands of people came

to the Yukon area in the hope of getting

rich. They built Dawson, which became

the largest city in western Canada. However,

the Klondike gold rush lasted only

a few years.

Canada created the separate Yukon Territory

in 1898. The Canadian government

moved the capital from Dawson to

Whitehorse in 1953. In 2003 the Yukon

Territory’s name was officially changed

to Yukon.

..More to explore

Athapaskan • British Columbia

• Canada • Hudson’s Bay Company

• Northwest Territories • Tundra

Yukon has unspoiled wilderness for

campers to enjoy.

The town of Dawson sits on the banks of the

Yukon River. Dawson was once the capital

of the Yukon Territory.

Facts About

YUKON

Flag

Population

(2006 census)

30,372

Area

186,272 sq mi

(482,443 sq km)

Capital

Whitehorse

Motto

none

When Yukon

Became a

Territory

1898

98 Yukon BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Zagreb is the capital of Croatia,

a country in Europe.

(See Zagreb.)

Zebras communicate with each

other using calls and facial

expressions.

(See Zebra.)

Zeus was the most powerful

god in ancient Greek mythology.

(See Zeus.)

The African country of

Zimbabwe was once called

Southern Rhodesia.

(See Zimbabwe.)

Some zoos help endangered

species, or animals at risk of

dying out in the wild, to have

young.

(See Zoo.)

Zoroastrians believe the world

is involved in a struggle

between good and evil.

(See Zoroastrianism.)

Zz

 

Zagreb

Population

(2001 census)

691,724

Zagreb is the capital of Croatia, a country

in southeastern Europe. It is Croatia’s

largest city and cultural center. The

city lies on the Sava River.

Zagreb is the center of trade and industry

in Croatia. Factories in the city make

machinery, chemicals, food products,

and cloth and clothing.

For several hundred years there were two

towns where Zagreb is now. Together

the two towns were the political and

cultural center of Croatia. In the 1800s

the towns were combined to form

Zagreb.

In the early 1900s Zagreb and the rest of

Croatia became part of the country of

Yugoslavia. Croatia declared its independence

in 1991. Fighting then broke out

between different groups in Croatia.

Zagreb was heavily damaged. It began to

rebuild after the war ended in 1995.

#More to explore

Croatia • Yugoslavia

Zaharias, Babe

Didrikson

Babe Didrikson Zaharias was one of the

best athletes of the 1900s. She excelled

in many sports.

Mildred Ella Didriksen was born on

June 26, 1911, in the U.S. city of Port

Arthur, Texas. She eventually gained the

nickname of Babe. She also changed the

spelling of her last name.

During 1930–32 Didrikson played on

the women’s All-America basketball

team. At the 1932 Olympic Games she

won two gold medals for track and field

events. She won the U.S.Women’s