The Barren Grounds (also called Barren Lands
) are a large area of
tundra
In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless moun ...
located in mainland
Nunavut
Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...
and stretching into the
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
in northern
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. The Barren Grounds is nearly uninhabited, with the exception of a few coastal villages and towns in Nunavut. The
Barren Lands First Nation
Barren Lands First Nation ( cr, ᑭᓯᐸᑲᒫᕽ, kisipakamâhk) is a First Nation located on the north shore of Reindeer Lake in northern Manitoba close to the Saskatchewan border. It has one reserve land called Brochet 197, which is in size ...
are located in northern
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
close to the
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
border.
Geography
The Barren Grounds are tundra, and lakes are abundant. It embodies several long rivers, including the
Coppermine,
Back,
Dubawnt,
Kazan
Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, Казан, ''Qazan'', IPA: ɑzan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka rivers, covering a ...
, and
Thelon.
The land in the area is mostly flat, although there are some hills in certain areas.
See also
Barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus), subspecies of caribou found in Canada and Greenland.
James Charles Critchell Bullock
James Charles Critchell Bullock (6 September 1898 – 31 March 1953) was best known for his diaries and photographs of an expedition with John Hornby across the Barren Grounds of Canada's Northwest Territories.
Early life
Bullock was born at 81 ...
(6 September 1898 – 31 March 1953) an Englishman best known for his diaries and photographs of an expedition in 1923 with John Hornby across the Barren Grounds. On the basis of their expedition the Thelon Game Sanctuary was established in 1927, renamed the
Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary
The Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary, at , over twice the area of Belgium, is the largest wildlife refuge in Canada. It is located in northern Canada's Arctic region, north of the tree line, straddling the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, halfway be ...
in 1956.
Edgar Christian
Edgar Vernon Christian (6 June 1908 – June 1927) was an English adventurer and writer who died in Northern Canada.
He was born in Earls Barton, Northamptonshire, the son of Lt Col William Francis (Frank) Christian, RA and his wife Marguerite ( ...
(1908-1927), a teenage
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
adventurer and writer. His diary was found in a log hut near the
Thelon River
The Thelon River ('' iu, Akilinik'', "on the other side") stretches across northern Canada. Its source is Whitefish Lake in the Northwest Territories, and it flows east to Baker Lake in Nunavut. The Thelon ultimately drains into Hudson Bay at C ...
Barren Land after his death.
John Hornby
John Hornby (1880–1927) was an English explorer, best known for his expeditions in the Arctic region of northern Canada, notably in the "Barren Lands" in the Northwest Territories of Canada.
Biography
Hornby was born to a wealthy family ...
(1880–1927), ("Hornby of the North"), an English
explorer, known for his
expeditions attempting to live off the land with limited supplies in the Arctic region of
northern Canada
Northern Canada, colloquially the North or the Territories, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three Provinces_and_territories_of_Canada#Territories, territor ...
, notably in the "Barren Lands". He died there with his companions, a cousin Edgar Chistian and Harold Adlard of starvation while overwintering in 1926-27.
Farley Mowat "Lost In The Barrens aka Two Against the North" (1956) is a children's adventure story that takes place in northern Manitoba and southwestern North West Territories in 1935.
References
Geography of Nunavut
Geography of the Northwest Territories
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