Demographics of Nunavut

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nunavut is a territory of Canada. It has a land area of 1,932,254.97 km².[1] In the 2006 census the population of Nunavut was 29,474,[1] with 24,875 people identifying themselves as Inuit (84.8% of the total population), 380 as First Nations (1.3%), 100 Métis (0.3%) and 3,945 as non-aboriginal (13.5%).[2]

Nunavut's small and sparse population makes it unlikely the territory will be granted provincial status in the foreseeable future, although this may change if the Yukon, which is only marginally more populous, becomes a province.

Contents

[edit] Ten largest communities

Municipality 2006 2001
Iqaluit1 6,184 5,236
Rankin Inlet1 2,358 2,177
Arviat 2,060 1,899
Baker Lake 1,728 1,507
Igloolik 1,538 1,286
Cambridge Bay1 1,477 1,309
Pangnirtung 1,325 1,276
Pond Inlet 1,315 1,220
Kugluktuk 1,302 1,212
Cape Dorset 1,236 1,148

[edit] Language

The 2006 Canadian census showed a population of 29,474.

Of the 29,025 singular responses to the census question concerning 'mother tongue' the languages most commonly reported were:

1. Inuktitut2 20,185 69.54%
2. English2 7,765 26.75%
3. French2 370 1.27%
4. Inuinnaqtun2 295 1.02%
5. Malayo-Polynesian languages 65 0.22%
Tagalog 45 0.16%
6= Chinese languages 40 0.14%
Cantonese 10 0.03%
Mandarin 10 0.03%
6= German 40 0.14%
8. Spanish 30 0.10%
9= Algonquian languages 20 0.07%
Cree 20 0.07%
9= Athapaskan languages 20 0.07%
Dogrib 10 0.03%

There were also 260 responses of both English and a 'non-official language' (mainly Inuktitut); 20 of both French and a 'non-official language; 20 of both English and French; and about 140 people who either did not respond to the question, or reported multiple non-official languages, or else gave some other unenumerated response. Only English and French were counted as official languages in the census. Figures shown are for the number of single language responses and the percentage of total single-language responses. [3]

[edit] Religion

The three dominant religions in Nunavut are Catholicism, Anglicanism and Born again Christianity.

Traditionally, Inuit shamanism has always been a taboo subject in Inuit culture, not openly talked about. Shamans didn't make it known they were one, but the group or clan they were a part of knew.

[edit] Migration

While there is some internal migration from the rest of Canada to Nunavut (usually on a temporary basis), there is very little external migration from outside of Canada to Nunavut. The 2006 census counted a total of only about 450 immigrants in Nunavut, including about 80 from the United Kingdom, about 40 each from the United States and the Philippines, about 30 from Germany, about 20 each from China and India, and just over 10 each from Jamaica and South Africa.[4]

A total of 4,940 people moved to Nunavut from other parts of Canada between 1996 and 2006 while 5,615 people moved in the opposite direction. These movements resulted in a net influx of 355 from Newfoundland and Labrador; and a net outmigration of 355 to Alberta, 295 to the Northwest Territories, 235 to Ontario and 160 to Quebec. There was a net outmigration of 150 francophones from Nunavut to Quebec during this period. (All net inter-provincial and official minority movements of more than 100 persons are given).[5][6]

[edit] See also

NU
Canadian Provinces and Territories
Demographics of Canada's provinces and territories

[edit] Notes

  • Note 1: Iqaluit is both the capital of Nunavut and the regional center for the Qikiqtaaluk Region, while Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay are the regional centres for the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot Regions respectively.
  • Note 2: Official language of Nunavut

[edit] References