A territory of northern Canada between Yukon Territory and Nunavut and including part of Victoria Island and Melville Island and other islands of the western Arctic Archipelago. Originally a much vaster territory encompassing most of central and northern Canada, Northwest Territories was formed in 1870 from the Hudson's Bay Company's holdings, which had been sold to Canada in 1869-1870. Alberta and Saskatchewan were carved out of the territory in 1905, and in 1999 it was divided again, with the eastern portion becoming the new territory of Nunavut. Yellowknife is the capital and the largest city. Population: 41,500.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
