Which territory joined Canada in 1999?

Nunavut joined Canada as a territory on April 1, 1999.

It was created from the eastern part of the Northwest Territories and became Canada’s third territory, alongside Yukon and the remaining Northwest Territories. Its capital is Iqaluit, on Baffin Island, and its name means “our land” in Inuktitut.

Nunavut’s creation followed decades of Inuit political organizing and negotiations over land, governance, and cultural authority. The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and the Nunavut Act were both passed in 1993. The agreement recognized Inuit rights and ownership interests, while the Nunavut Act established the territory’s government. Six years later, the new territory officially came into being.

The territory is not the same thing as the Northwest Territories, although it was formed from part of that jurisdiction. It covers roughly one-fifth of Canada’s landmass and includes much of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Nunavut’s establishment was also the first major change to Canada’s internal map since Newfoundland entered Confederation in 1949.