What was the last territory to join Canada?

Nunavut was the last territory to join Canada, officially becoming a territory on April 1, 1999. It was created from the eastern portion of the Northwest Territories and became Canada's third territory.

The creation of Nunavut followed decades of Inuit political organizing and land-claims negotiations. The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and the Nunavut Act established the new territory and recognized Inuit rights over a large area of land and resources. The name Nunavut means “our land” in Inuktitut.

Nunavut's creation redrew Canada's political map for the first time since Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949. Its capital is Iqaluit, on Baffin Island, and it is Canada's largest and northernmost territory. A common mistake is to call Nunavut Canada's newest province; it is a territory, meaning its constitutional powers and relationship with the federal government differ from those of Canada's ten provinces.