Yukon is one of the three territories that, together with the ten provinces, make up the thirteen federal entities of Canada. Its capital is Whitehorse. It is located in the extreme northwest of the country, bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the Northwest Territories, on the south by British Columbia and on the west by Alaska. With 31,530 habs. In 2008 it is the second least populated entity - ahead of Nunavut - and with 0.06 hab / km², the third least densely populated, ahead of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, the least densely populated. The crest of the Mackenzie Mountains shapes much of the eastern border.
The etymology of its name comes from a local aboriginal language, the gwich'in, and means "big river". The territory is famous among other things for having been the scene of the Klondike Gold Rush, a historical event that occurred in 1897 and that was of great importance for the region.