Before Nunuvat was split off as its own territory, the Northwest Territories consisted of over 3,300,000 square kilometers. If it had been an independent country, it would have ranked as the 7th largest nation in the world, just above India. The three Canadian territories account for 1/3 of the total land area of Canada, but less than 3% of the total population. It is one of the remotest and unspoiled regions of the world. The area has attracted much attention in recent years; with the ice packs of the Arctic Ocean receding to global warming, the realization of the Northwest Passage will open the region to exploration and expansion.
