Nunavut is the largest, furthest north Territory in Canada and the whole of North America. A new independent country since 1999, Nunavut covers 464 million acres (725,018 square miles or 1,877,787 square km). It shares a border with the Northwest Territory and Manitoba, touches the corner of Saskatchewan and shares the Killiniq Island with Newfoundland and Labrador. It is surrounded by the Arctic Ocean to the north, Baffin Bay and Strait to the East and Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait to the south.
Nunavut has 26 million acres (107,000 square km) of boreal forest where more than a million barren ground caribou make their home.
The Territory capital is Iqaluit on Baffin Island. The tallest point is Barbeau Peak at 8,583 feet (2,616 meters).

Scientists break down Nunavut's natural communities into "Ecozones."
The Southern Arctic Ecozone spreads across northern Canada and makes up most of the northern mainland of Nunavut. Here the winters are long, dark and frigid (-18° F/-28°C) and summers are short and cool (42° F/6°C) with long daylight hours. Due to the extensive permafrost, only hardy plants survive here, like stunted trees, shrubs, lichens and mosses. Wetlands along the coast provide breeding and nesting grounds for waterfowl and barren ground caribou (from the Porcupine herd) have their calves on the open tundra. Other hardy wildlife also make a living here, like: polar bear, muskox, and arctic fox.

The Western Taiga Shield Ecozone is a region of boreal forest making up the southern mainland Nunavut. This flat, wet, coniferous forest region has long, cold winters and is the transition zone between the boreal forest and the Arctic. It is dotted with millions of lakes left by the retreat of the glaciers and bogs, making it a popular breeding ground for waterfowl. The forest includes: black and white spruce, jack pine, green alder, paper, white and dwarf birch, tamarack, balsam fir, quaking aspen, and balsam poplar. The region supports animals that can tolerate subarctic conditions, including black and grizzly bears, wolf, lynx, moose, barren-ground and woodland caribou, coyote, weasel, wolverine, river otter, red and arctic fox, muskrat, marten, mink, beaver, vole, red squirrel, and snowshoe hare. Humans mine ore and explore for oil in this region.

The Northern Arctic Ecozone makes up the bulk of Nunavut. This ecozone is the coldest, driest region of Canada – often called an arctic desert. The permafrost only thaws on the surface during the short summer. This ecozone is a treeless plain with some stunted trees and shrubs, sedges, moss, and low-lying plants. Animals must be well-adapted for survival in these extreme conditions. Some include mammals like: polar bear, wolverine, musk ox, arctic wolf, arctic fox, weasel, arctic hare, snowshoe hare, and barren-ground caribou. There are also birds like the snowy owl, gyrfalcon, snow goose, and king eider. No reptiles or amphibians live in this region.
All along the eastern coast Nunavut is the Arctic Cordilla Ecozone. This is a region of jutting rocks, mountain chains, polar ice fields and glaciers along the coast of deep fiords. It is a beautiful region with an extreme climate. The few hardy plants and lichens are the only food source for the region's two herbivores - the musk ox and barren-ground caribou. Other mammals include polar bear, arctic wolf, arctic fox, arctic hare, weasels and lemmings.

Mammals:
bat (hoary) - Lasiurus cinereus
bat (little brown) - Myotis lucifugus
bat (northern long-eared) - Myotis septentrionalis
bear (black) - Ursus americanus
bear (grizzly) - Ursus arctos
bear (polar) - Ursus maritimus
beaver (American) - Castor canadensis
bison (wood) - Bison bison athabascae
caribou (barren-ground) - Rangifer articus
caribou (woodland) - Rangifer tarandus
chipmunk (least) - Tamias minimus
coyote - Canis latrans
deer (mule) - Odocoileus hemionus
deer (white-tailed) - Odocoileus virginianus
elk - Cervus canadensis
fisher - Martes pennanti
fox (Arctic) - Vulpes lagopus
fox (red) - Vulpes vulpes
hare (Arctic) - Lepus arcticus
hare (snowshoe) - Lepus americanus
lemming (brown) - Lemmus trimucronatus
lemming (pearly land collared) - Dicrostonyx groenlandicus
lemming (Richardson's) - Dicrostonyx richardsoni
lemming (Victoria collared) - Dicrostonyx kilangmiutak
lynx (Canadian) - Lynx canadensis
marmot (hoary) - Marmota caligata
marten (American) - Martes americana
mink (American) - Neovison vison
moose - Alces alces
mountain goat - Oreamnos americanus
mountain lion (Cougar) - Puma concolor
mouse (deer) - Peromyscus maniculatus
mouse (meadow jumping) - Zapus hudsonius
muskox - Ovibos moschatus
muskrat (common) - Ondatra zibethicus
otter (North American river) - Lontra canadensis
pika (collared) - Ochotona collaris
porcupine (North American) - Erethizon dorsatum
raccoon - Procyon lotor
sheep (Dall's) - Ovis dalli
shrew (American water) - Sorex palustris
shrew (Arctic) - Sorex arcticus
shrew (barren ground) - Sorex ugyunak
shrew (dusky) - Sorex monticolus
shrew (masked) - Sorex cinereus
shrew (pygmy) - Sorex hoyi
shrew (tundra) - Sorex tundrensis
skunk (striped) - Mephitis mephitis
squirrel (Arctic ground) - Spermophilus parryii
squirrel (northern flying) - Glaucomys sabrinus
squirrel (red) - Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
vole (eastern heather) - Phenacomys ungava
vole (long-tailed) - Microtus longicaudus
vole (meadow) - Microtus Pennsylvanicus
vole (northern red-backed) - Myodes nutilus
vole (singing) - Microtus miurus
vole (southern red-backed) - Myodes gapperi
vole (taiga) - Microtus xanthognathus
vole (tundra) - Microtus oeconomus
weasel (least) - Mustela nivalis
weasel (short-tailed or ermine) - Mustela erminea
wolf (Arctic) - Canis lupus tundrarum
wolf (gray) - Canis lupus
wolverine - Gulo gulo
woodchuck - Marmota monax
woodrat (bushy-tailed) - Neotoma cinerea

Ocean Mammals:
fur seal (northern) - Callorhinus ursinus
seal (bearded) - Erignathus barbatus
seal (harbour) - Phoca vitulina
seal (ringed) - Pusa hispida
walrus (Atlantic) - Odobenus rosmarus
whale (beluga) - Delphinapterus leucas
whale (bowhead) - Balaena mysticetus
whale (gray) - Eschrichtius robustus
whale (killer ) - Orcinus orca
whale (narwhal) - Monodon monoceros

Birds:
bittern (American)
blackbird (Brewer's)
blackbird (red-winged)
blackbird (rusty)
blackbird (yellow-headed)
bluebird (mountain)
bunting (indigo)
bunting (Lazuli)
bunting (snow)
chickadee (black-capped)
chickadee (boreal)
chickadee (gray-headed)
coot (American)
cormorant (double-crested)
crane (sandhill)
crane (whooping)
crossbill (red)
crossbill (white-winged)
crow (American)
curlew (Eskimo) - endangered
curlew (long-billed)
dipper (American)
dove (mourning)
dowitcher (long-billed)
dowitcher (short-billed)
duck (American wigeon)
duck (black scoter)
duck (Barrow's goldeneye)
duck (blue-winged teal)
duck (bufflehead)
duck (canvasback)
duck (common eider)
duck (common goldeneye)
duck (Eurasian wigeon)
duck (gadwall)
duck (greater scaup)
duck (green-winged teal)
duck (harlequin)
duck (King eider)
duck (lesser scaup)
duck (long-tailed)
duck (mallard)
duck (northern pintail)
duck (northern shoveler)
duck (redhead)
duck (ring-necked)
duck (ruddy)
duck (surf scoter)
duck (white-winged scoter)
dunlin
eagle (bald)
eagle (golden)
egret (cattle)
egret (great)
egret (snowy)
falcon (gyrfalcon)
falcon (peregrine)
finch (house)
finch (gray-crowned rosy)
finch (purple)
flicker (northern)
flycatcher (alder)
flycatcher (dusky)
flycatcher (Hammond's)
flycatcher (least)
flycatcher (olive-sided)
flycatcher (yellow-bellied)
godwit (bar-tailed)
godwit (Hudsonian)
godwit (marbled)
goose (Brant)
goose (cackling)
goose (Canada)
goose (Ross's)
goose (snow)
grackle (common)
grèbe (eared)
grèbe (horned)
grèbe (pied-billed)
grèbe (red-necked)
grosbeak (evening)
grosbeak (pine)
grosbeak (rose-breasted)
grouse (blue)
grouse (ruffed)
grouse (sharp-tailed)
grouse (spruce)
guillemot (black)
gull (black-tailed)
gull (Bonaparte’s)
gull (California)
gull (glaucous)
gull (glaucous-winged)
gull (herring)
gull (ivory)
gull (mew)
gull (ring-billed)
gull (Ross's)
gull (Sabine's)
gull (slaty-backed)
gull (Thayer's)
harrier (northern)
hawk (broad-winged)
hawk (northern goshawk)
hawk (red-tailed)
hawk (rough-legged)
hawk (sharp-shinned)
hawk (Swainson's)
heron (great blue)
hummingbird (calliope)
hummingbird (rufous)
jaeger (long-tailed)
jaeger (parasitic)
jaeger (pomarine)
jay (gray)
junco (dark-eyed)
kestrel (American)
killdeer
kingbird (eastern)
kingbird (western)
kingfisher (belted)
kinglet (golden-crowned)
kinglet (ruby-crowned)
knot (red)
lark (horned)
longspur (Lapland)
longspur (Smith's)
loon (common)
loon (Pacific)
loon (red-throated)
loon (yellow-billed)
magpie (black-billed)
meadowlark (western)
merlin
merganser (common)
merganser (red-breasted)
mockingbird (northern)
murre (thick-billed)
nighthawk (common)
nuthatch (red-breasted)
oriole (Baltimore)
osprey
ovenbird
owl (barred)
owl (boreal)
owl (great gray)
owl (great horned)
owl (long-eared)
owl (northern hawk)
owl (short-eared)
owl (snowy)
pelican (American white)
phalarope (red)
phalarope (red-necked)
phalarope (Wilson's)
phoebe (eastern)
phoebe (Say's)
pigeon (rock)
pipit (American)
plover (American golden)
plover (black-bellied)
plover (semipalmated)
ptarmigan (rock)
ptarmigan (white-tailed)
ptarmigan (willow)
rail (Virginia)
rail (yellow)
raven (common)
redpoll (common)
redpoll (hoary)
redstart (American)
robin (American)
ruff
sanderling
sandpiper (Baird's)
sandpiper (buff-breasted)
sandpiper (least)
sandpiper (pectoral)
sandpiper (purple)
sandpiper (semipalmated)
sandpiper (solitary)
sandpiper (spotted)
sandpiper (stilt)
sandpiper (upland)
sandpiper (western)
sandpiper (white-rumped)
sapsucker (yellow-bellied)
shrike (northern)
siskin (pine)
sora
snipe (Wilson's)
sparrow (American tree)
sparrow (chipping)
sparrow (clay-colored)
sparrow (fox)
sparrow (golden-crowned)
sparrow (Harris's)
sparrow (house)
sparrow (lark)
sparrow (LeConte's)
sparrow (Lincoln's)
sparrow (Nelson's sharp-tailed)
sparrow (Savannah)
sparrow (song)
sparrow (swamp)
sparrow (vesper)
sparrow (white-crowned)
sparrow (white-throated)
starling (European)
surfbird
swallow (bank)
swallow (barn)
swallow (cliff)
swallow (tree)
swallow (violet-green)
swan (trumpeter)
swan (tundra)
tanager (western)
tattler (wandering)
tern (Arctic)
tern (black)
tern (Caspian)
tern (common)
thrasher (brown)
thrush (gray-cheeked)
thrush (hermit)
thrush (Swainson's)
thrush (varied)
turnstone (ruddy)
vireo (blue-headed)
vireo (Philadelphia)
vireo (red-eyed)
vireo (warbling)
vulture (turkey)
wagtail (yellow)
warbler (Arctic)
warbler (bay-breasted)
warbler (black and white)
warbler (blackpoll)
warbler (Canada)
warbler (Cape May)
warbler (Connecticut)
warbler (magnolia)
warbler (mourning)
warbler (Nashville)
warbler (orange-crowned)
warbler (palm)
warbler (Tennessee)
warbler (Townsend's)
warbler (Wilson's)
warbler (yellow)
warbler (yellow-rumped)
waterthrush (northern)
waxwing (Bohemian)
waxwing (cedar)
wheatear (northern)
whimbrel
willet
woodpecker (American three-toed)
woodpecker (black-backed)
woodpecker (downy)
woodpecker (hairy)
woodpecker (pileated)
wood-pewee (western)
wren (marsh)
wren (winter)
yellowlegs (greater)
yellowlegs (lesser)

Reptiles:
snake (red-sided garter) - Thamnophis sirtalis

Amphibians:
frog (boreal chorus) - Pseudacris maculata
frog (northern leopard) - Rana pipiens - endangered
frog (wood) - Lithobates sylvaticus or Rana sylvatica
toad (Canadian) - Bufo hemiophrys
toad (western) - Bufo boreas

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