Whitehorse, capital city of the YUKON TERRITORY, pop 19 157 (1996c), 17 925 (1991c), 15 199 (1986c), area 413.48 km2, inc 1950, is located at kilometre 1476, just off the ALASKA HIGHWAY, about 105 km north of the BC border.

The city lies mainly on the western side of the YUKON RIVER on a 600 m wide river plain backed by a steep scarp with a plateaulike summit 60 m above.

The Whitehorse landscape is dominated by Canyon Mountain (locally known as Grey Mountain) to the east, Haeckel Hill to the northwest and Golden Horn Mountain to the south. Nestled in a protected valley, Whitehorse enjoys a moderate climate for the North, with warm, dry summers. Long hours of summer daylight (almost 20 hours in June) offset a short growing season and dark winters.

Population
About 70% of the Yukon's population resides in Whitehorse. The largest segment of the population is of British origin, followed by people of Aboriginal, German and French ancestry. The city is home to a large population of Aboriginal residents who are members of either the Ta'an Kwach'an or the Kwanlin Dun First Nations, whose traditional territories overlap in the vicinity of Whitehorse.

Economy
In the 1950s the federal government initiated a road construction and financial-aid program to stimulate the territory's mining economy. As a result silver production expanded at MAYO, and copper and lead-zinc production started at FARO. By the end of the 1950s an integrated ship-train-truck containerized transportation system was moving ore through Whitehorse to external markets. The shutdown of mines in the Yukon, notably Faro in 1982, had an adverse effect on the city, and the White Pass and Yukon rail operations were ended in that year. However, mining in the Yukon recovered considerably in the mid-1990s.
Improved accessibility also directly affected Whitehorse's economy through the tourism industry. The territory's tourism draws include its "Decade of Anniversaries" celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Alaska Highway, 100 years of RCMP presence, the discovery of gold in the Klondike and other significant events.