Northwest Territories Physical Map

Description:
This map shows landforms, cities, towns, rivers, lakes, major highways, secondary roads, and national parks in the Northwest Territories.

Physical Geography and Topography

Northwest Territories encompasses 1,346,106 square kilometres, making it the second-largest political division in Canada. The territory extends from the 60th parallel northward to the Arctic Ocean and from Yukon Territory eastward to Nunavut, spanning approximately 1,300 kilometres east-west and 1,580 kilometres north-south.

The Canadian Shield dominates the eastern half, consisting of ancient Precambrian rock formations over 2.5 billion years old. This region features low-lying rocky terrain dotted with thousands of lakes including Great Slave Lake, the deepest lake in North America at 614 metres, and Great Bear Lake, the largest lake entirely within Canada. The Mackenzie Mountains rise in the western territory along the Yukon border, with peaks exceeding 2,700 metres elevation.

The Mackenzie River system drains most of the territory, flowing 1,738 kilometres from Great Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean. It forms the second-longest river system in North America. The Mackenzie Delta covers 13,135 square kilometres, containing thousands of lakes and channels and serving as crucial habitat for migrating waterfowl.

The Arctic mainland and islands exhibit tundra vegetation with permafrost underlying most areas. The southern regions contain boreal forest, gradually transitioning to taiga and then to treeless tundra at higher latitudes. Wood Buffalo National Park in the south features karst topography with sinkholes and underground drainage systems. The territory's 163,021 square kilometres of freshwater represents approximately 12% of its total area, containing numerous rivers, lakes, and wetlands that support diverse ecosystems.