Whitehorse pictures

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Whitehorse with a 2006 population of 20,461) is the capital of the Yukon, Canada. Whitehorse accounts for more than 75% of the territory's population and is the largest city in the Canadian territory.

It is named after the Yukon River rapids that, more than 100 years ago, capsized boats and claimed lives of those hopeful gold-seekers heading to Dawson city for the Klondike Gold Rush.

In 1957 and 1958, the Whitehorse Dam was built and the rapids disappeared under Schwalka Lake, which along with the equally notorious Miles Canyon is close to downtown.

 Geography

Whitehorse is located at Historic Mile 918 of the Alaska Highway and is the former terminus of the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway from Skagway, Alaska (although the rails are still there, the train only goes as far as Carcross now). At the head of navigation on the Yukon River, the city was an important supply and stage center during the Klondike Gold Rush. It has been the territorial capital since 1953, when the seat was moved from Dawson City after the construction of the Klondike Highway. Whitehorse is in the mountain climate region, the tundra soil region, the Arctic vegetation region, and the boreal cordillera ecozone.

All buildings in Whitehorse are limited to four stories

The Yukon River is essentially navigable, but no passenger or freight services use the river at Whitehorse.

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