Population of the Southern Arctic
A small community in the southern arctic
Canada's Southern Arctic Ecozone is one of the least populated areas of the world. The total population, spread between 17 communities, numbers only about 10 000 people.The Inuit make up about 80% of these people. Rankin Inlet is the largest community, with a population in 1991 of 1 706. Not many people live in this Ecozone because of the long harsh cold winters.
Arctic communities feature a mixture of traditional and cash economies. Much of the local population depends on subsistence hunting, trapping, and fishing -- activities valued for their contributions to independence, self-esteem, tradition, and a healthy lifestyle.