Ungava Peninsula

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Location of the Ungava Peninsula

The Ungava Peninsula of Nunavik, Québec, Canada, is bounded by Hudson Bay to the west, Hudson Strait to the north, and Ungava Bay to the east. The Ungava Peninsula is part of the Labrador Peninsula and covers about 252,000 km² (97,000 sq mi).

It is a part of the Canadian Shield and consists entirely of treeless tundra dissected by large numbers of rivers and glacial lakes, flowing generally east-west in a parallel fashion. The peninsula was not deglaciated until 6,500 years ago (11,500 years after the Last Glacial Maximum) and is believed to have been the prehistoric centre from which the vast Laurentide Ice Sheet spread over most of North America during the last glacial epoch.

The climate is extremely cold (ET in the Köppen climate classification) because the Labrador Current keeps the region (and all of northern Québec) colder in the summer than other regions at comparable latitudes.

The 10,000 inhabitants of the peninsula (90% Inuit), live in 12 villages spread along the coast. The largest village, Kuujjuaq, is the capital of the Kativik Regional Government, which includes all of the peninsula. The offshore islands are part of the Nunavut Territory. The region is accessible by air services, with links to southern Québec, and seasonal shipping when sea-ice breaks up. Thick permafrost prevents the use of conventional building techniques in some areas.