Iqaluit - Geography.

Iqaluit - Geography. Iqaluit, capital of the territory of Nunavut, Canada. Most of the people of Iqaluit are Inuit, and the town's name means "the place where the fish are" in Inuktitut, the Inuit language. Before 1987 Iqaluit was known by the European name of Frobisher Bay. At one time, Iqaluit was part of the Northwest Territories, but when the Northwest Territories were divided into two territories in 1999, Iqaluit became the capital of the new territory of Nunavut. Iqaluit is located on Koojesse Inlet, at the head of Frobisher Bay, on the southern coast of Baffin Island. It is situated along a rocky coastline and protected by the Everett Mountains to the southwest and the mountains of the Hall Peninsula to the northeast. The local climate is extremely harsh, with very cold winters and moderately cold summers. During the summer, the sun dips below the horizon for only a short period each day; in winter, much of the day passes in darkness. Iqaluit's cold climate and rocky terrain support only minimal vegetation. The Canadian federal government provides subsidies for northern communities, including welfare and other support payments for individuals and families, and the Iqaluit economy is based largely on the administration of these government services. Mining and oil companies working on Baffin and other Arctic islands use Iqaluit as a service and supply base. Many of the Inuit harvest seals and fish for food, clothing, and income, and several local businesses produce Inuit arts and crafts. Iqaluit is an important transportation center for the region. The United States Air Force built an airfield there in 1942, and the Canadian government has since upgraded it to a full-service commercial facility. The airport serves as a hub for air service in the Eastern Arctic, with regularly scheduled flights and charters to the small villages of the region. There is also regular service to Greenland and Montréal, Québec. Transport Canada, a federal government agency, operates the Eastern Arctic Sealift, which delivers supplies to the community by sea. Iqaluit has a wide range of facilities, including a recreation center, a swimming pool, a community center, a library, and a curling club. Nunavut Arctic College, established in 1995 when Arctic College (headquartered in the town of Fort Smith) was divided into two separate institutions, is based in the town. The most prominent landmark in Iqaluit is the igloo-shaped St. Jude's Anglican Cathedral, built in the mid-1970s. Each spring the community hosts a festival called Toonik Tyme, which features dogsled races and other activities. Inuit have lived in the Frobisher Bay region for hundreds of years. The bay is named for British explorer Sir Martin Frobisher, who discovered it in 1576 while searching for the Northwest Passage and was the first European to enter the region. In 1914 the Hudson's Bay Company founded a small post at nearby Apex, which became the first year-round European settlement in the area. During World War II (1939-1945), the U.S. Air Force decided to build an airfield on the site of modern Iqaluit, and the town (then called Frobisher Bay) was founded in 1942 to support the airfield. The airfield remained in operation after the war, used primarily by the U.S. military. Iqaluit became a major supply and transportation center for the region and was home to one of the radar sites of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line, built by the U.S. government to provide warning in case of an attack on North America. In the late 1950s the Canadian government expanded its services to the Inuit in the Arctic, and Iqaluit emerged as the administrative center of the region. By the 1970s government services had become the foundation of the town's economy, and Inuit from the surrounding region were moving into Iqaluit for schooling, medical services, and employment. Since the 1970s the importance of the military has declined, and Iqaluit has been a major center of Inuit cultural revival and political activity. The DEW Line was closed in the mid-1980s, which reduced the community's military function dramatically. In 1987 the town became the first eastern Arctic settlement to replace its European name, Frobisher Bay, with an Inuit name. The community's social problems, particularly those related to alcohol abuse, have drawn attention to the serious difficulties facing the Inuit people. At the same time, Iqaluit has played an important role in the development of Inuit-language radio and television broadcasting for the region and the expansion of Inuit art production as a commercial venture. The growing interest in adventure tourism has brought increasing numbers of visitors into the community. In 1993 the Canadian government reached an agreement with the Inuit people on the Inuit land claim in the Eastern Arctic. The agreement included a cash settlement and provided for the establishment of Nunavut in 1999 as a separate political unit. The settlement was followed by a 1995 referendum among the people of Nunavut, resulting in the selection of Iqaluit as the capital of the future territory. Population 3,552 (1991); 5,236 (2001). Contributed By: Kenneth S. Coates Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.