15 Amazing and Shocking Facts About YellowKnife

Yellowknife is the only city and is a capital along with a largest community, in Northwest Territories, Canada. It is situated on northern shore of the Great Slave Lake, which is around 400km south of Arctic Circle, on west side of Yellowknife Bay.

Yellowknife and all of its surrounding water bodies named after local Dene tribe which was once known as ‘Yellowknife Indians’ or ‘Copper Indians’, these are referred as Yellowknives Dene First Nation, that traded the tools which were made up from copper deposits near Arctic Coast. Current population is mixed.

Of 11 official languages of Northwest Territories, 5 of which are spoken in the significant numbers: French, English, South and North Slavey, Dogrib and Dene Suline. In Dogrib language, city is known as Sǫ̀mbak’è.

15 Amazing and Shocking Facts About YellowKnife

1. Yellowknife is around 3,062km away from North Pole.

2. Yellowknife sits on shore of Great Slave Lake near outlet of Yellowknife River.

3. Population of Yellowknife was around 19,088 in 2011. It is largest city in Northwest Territories. Yellowknife has around half of the population of entire Northwest Territories.

4. Yellowknife is capital of Northwest Territories. 7 out of the 19 members of Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories are from the Yellowknife.

5. Yellowknife became capital of Northwest Territories in year 1967.

6. Name Yellowknife derived from Dene Band, the Yelloknives. They are alive and well as number of the commenters in March 2014.

7. There are number of different languages in Yellowknife which are being spoken and that include 14.7% of Inuktitut, Dogrib, Dene, German, Vietnamese and Filipino, 4.3% French and 79.6% English only.

8. 35% of the population is under age of 25 years and 3.6% of population is over 65.

9. Major employers in Yellowknife include the City of Yellowknife, RTL Robinson Trucking, Northwest Tel, First Air, BHP Billiton, Diavik Diamond Mines, the Federal Government and the Territorial Government.

10. Yellowknife is having gold mine heritage. In 1930’s these gold mine tunnels burrowed the city streets.

11. Yellowknife is known as “Diamond Capital” of North America. There are total 3 operating diamond mines which are close by. Canada is ranked as high as in production of diamond by value and 6th weightage of diamonds from all of these mines.

12. In year 2010 78 carat diamond was discovered at Ekati Diamond Mine.

13. There is a huge paved highway all the way to the Yellowknife from Alberta. 4 airlines are being offered daily jet service to the city.

14. Only 10days are there which give bright sunshine in December.

15. There come 5 thunderstorms on an average in a year in Yellowknife.