British Arctic Territories

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See also: British Antarctic Territory

British Arctic territories
16th century – 1880
Flag of British Arctic Territories
Flag
StatusTerritory of the United Kingdom
GovernmentMonarchy
Establishment
• Expeditions of Martin Frobisher
16th century
 Succeeded by
Canada
Today part ofNunavut and Northwest Territories, Canada
  1. Adjacent Territories Order
  1. Order of Her Majesty in Council admitting all British possessions and Territories in North America and islands adjacent thereto into the Union, dated the 31st day of July, 1880.
The British Arctic Territories (darker region) upon incorporation into Canada

The British Arctic territories, now known as the Arctic Archipelago (excepting islands in Hudson Bay, which were part of Rupert's Land) were claimed by the United Kingdom in North America. The region was part of British North America.

The British claim to the area was based on the discoveries of Martin Frobisher (1535–1594) in the 16th century. Britain passed control of the islands to Canada in 1880, by means of an Imperial Order in Council, the Adjacent Territories Order, passed under the Royal Prerogative.[1] The transfer was made out of fear of American interest in the area as part of the Monroe Doctrine.[1]

Britain had previously (1870) transferred most of its remaining land in North America – the North-Western Territory and Rupert's Land – to Canada, becoming the Canadian North-West Territories (renamed Northwest Territories in 1906).[2][3]

On April 1, 1999, the territory of Nunavut was created from the eastern portion of the Northwest Territories. The majority of the islands became part of Nunavut. Islands split between Nunavut and Northwest Territories include Victoria Island, Melville Island, Mackenzie King Island, and Borden Island.

These islands were never part of Rupert's Land (Hudson Bay drainage basin) nor the North-Western Territory (mainland north and west of Rupert's Land), both of whose trade monopolies were managed by the Hudson's Bay Company. Canada had acquired those regions in 1870, creating the new Province of Manitoba (originally a square one-eighteenth of its current size) as well as the new North-West Territories (which, by 1999, had ceded land to create today's Yukon and Nunavut territories and the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, ceded land to existing provinces' expansions into northern Ontario, northern Quebec, the full Manitoba, and the most north-easterly portion of British Columbia).

British Arctic Territory flag hoax[]

Flags of the World has a tradition of posting a new flag for the British Arctic Territory every April 1. It has led to some persistent misinformation on the web.[4]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Smith, Gordon. "THE TRANSFER OF ARCTIC TERRITORIES FROM GREAT BRITAIN TO CANADA IN 1880, AND SOME RELATED MATTERS, AS SEEN IN OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE'" (PDF). pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  2. ^ "History of the Name of the Northwest Territories". Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. Government of the Northwest Territories. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Northwest Territories Act | The Revised Statutes of Canada 1906 v.2". Article Chapter 62, Act of 1906. The Government of Canada. p. 1151–1173. Retrieved 29 September 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  4. ^ "British Arctic Territory Flag Hoax". www.crwflags.com.
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