AWG's Fun Facts

Here are some "Fun Facts" from the Spectator Guide of the Arctic Winter Games. Now you can wow your peers around the water cooler.

Alaska: Alaska has more than 70 potentially active volcanoes. Alaska is home to over 1/2 of the world's glaciers and 17 of the 20 highest peaks in the U.S.A. are in Alaska.
Alberta North: Alberta enjoys the highest average days of sunshine in Canada, at 312 days/year. More than 50% of Alberta is forested. Alberta has Rocky Mountains to the west, prairies to the south and its forests are in the north.
Greenland: Greenland is the largest island in the world. July is the only month when Greenland's average temperature is above freezing. In Ilulissat, the sun does not set for a full 2 months, between May 25th and July 25th.
Northwest Territories: The first diamond mine in Canada is located in the NWT and started production in 1998. Great Slave Lake is the deepest lake in Canada and is the 10th largest in the world.
Nunavik-Quebec: Nunavik comprises the northern third of the province of Quebec. Some of the oldest rocks on the earth are part of the Canadian Shield, which covers most of Quebec.
Nunavut: 50% of the world's polar bears live in Nunavut. Nunavut comprises 1/5 of Canada's total landmass.
Sapmi: Reindeer herding has long-remained a strong part of the Sami culture. The Sami language belongs to the Finno-Ugric language family, as do Finnish, Estonian, Livonian and Hungarian.
Yamal: The low temperature in winter reaches -59 degrees Celsius. In July, the temperature can be up to +30 degrees Celsius.
Yukon: Mount Logan is Canada's highest mountain at 5,959 metres and is located in the Yukon. Kluane National Park forms the world's largest protected area, is home to the world's largest non-polar ice field, Canada's tallest mountain and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.