British Arctic Territories facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
British Arctic territories
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| 16th century – 1880 | |||||||
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| Status | Territory of the United Kingdom | ||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||
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• Expeditions of Martin Frobisher
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16th century | ||||||
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| Today part of | Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, Canada | ||||||
The British Arctic Territories were a group of islands located north of mainland North America. Today, these islands are known as the Arctic Archipelago.
Britain claimed these lands because of discoveries made by explorer Martin Frobisher in the 1500s. In 1880, the United Kingdom officially transferred control of these islands to Canada. This transfer happened through a special government order called the Adjacent Territories Order. Britain made this decision partly because it was worried the United States might try to claim the area.
Contents
How the Territories Became Part of Canada
Early Land Transfers
Before 1880, Britain had already given most of its other lands in North America to Canada. This happened in 1870. These areas included the North-Western Territory and Rupert's Land. These vast regions then became part of Canada's Northwest Territories.
The Arctic Islands Join Canada
The Arctic islands themselves were not part of Rupert's Land or the North-Western Territory. Those areas were managed by the Hudson's Bay Company, a trading company. Canada gained control of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory in 1870. This led to the creation of new parts of Canada, like the Province of Manitoba.
Over time, the Northwest Territories changed a lot. By 1999, land from it had been used to create today's Yukon and Nunavut Territories. Land was also used to form the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Parts of the Northwest Territories were also added to existing provinces like northern Ontario, northern Quebec, all of Manitoba, and the northeastern tip of British Columbia.
On April 1, 1999, a new territory called Nunavut was created. It was formed from the eastern part of the Northwest Territories. Most of the British Arctic islands became part of Nunavut. However, some large islands are split between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. These include Victoria Island, Melville Island, Mackenzie King Island, and Borden Island.
See also
