Iqaluit
Iqaluit (/iˈkæluɪt/ ee-KAL-oo-it; Inuktitut syllabics: ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ, [iqaluit], lit. 'place of many fish'; French: [i.ka.lu.it]) is the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. It is the territory's largest community and its only city. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the large bay on the coast on which the city is situated. The northernmost city in Canada, its traditional Inuktitut name was restored in 1987.
Iqaluit
ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ (Inuktitut syllabics) | |
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City | |
From top left: Cityscape from Joamie Hill, Iqaluit waterfront, Aurora borealis at night, Iqaluit Airport, St. Jude's Anglican Cathedral | |
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Flag Seal | |
Iqaluit Location of Iqaluit Iqaluit Iqaluit (Canada) | |
| Coordinates: 63°44′58″N 68°31′18″W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Territory | Nunavut |
| Region | Qikiqtaaluk |
| Electoral districts | Iqaluit-Manirajak Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu Iqaluit-Sinaa Iqaluit-Tasiluk |
| Settled | 1942 |
| Village status | 1974 |
| Town status | 1980 |
| City status | 19 April 2001 |
| Founded by | Nakasuk |
| Government | |
| • Type | Iqaluit City Council |
| • Mayor | Solomon Awa |
| • MLAs | P.J. Akeeagok Janet Brewster George Hickes Adam Lightstone |
| • MP | Lori Idlout |
| Area (2021) | |
| • Total | 51.58 km2 (19.92 sq mi) |
| • Population Centre | 10.48 km2 (4.05 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 30 m (110 ft) |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Total | 7,429 |
| • Density | 144.0/km2 (373/sq mi) |
| • Population Centre | 7,082 |
| • Population Centre density | 667.0/km2 (1,728/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Iqalummiut |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| Canadian Postal code | X0A 0A1, X0A 0H0, X0A 1H0, X0A 2H0, X0A 3H0 |
| Area code | 867 |
| Telephone Exchanges | 222 (mobile), 975, 979 |
| NTS Map | 25N10 Hill Island |
| GNBC Code | OATRP |
| Website | iqaluit |
In 1999, Iqaluit was designated the capital of Nunavut after the division of the Northwest Territories into two separate territories. Before this event, Iqaluit was a small city and not well known outside the Canadian Arctic or Canada, with population and economic growth highly limited. This is due to the city's isolation and heavy dependence on expensive imported supplies, as the city, like the rest of Nunavut, has no road or rail, and only has ship connections for part of the year to the rest of Canada. The city has a polar climate, influenced by the cold deep waters of the Labrador Current just off Baffin Island—this makes the city of Iqaluit cold, although it is well south of the Arctic Circle.
As of the 2021 Canadian census, the population was 7,429 (population centre: 6,991), a decrease of 4.0 percent from the 2016 census. Iqaluit has the lowest population of any capital city in Canada. Inhabitants of Iqaluit are called Iqalummiut (singular: Iqalummiuq).