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Drainage Basins (Nunavut)
Abstract
A drainage basin is the area that drains all precipitation into a river or stream system into a common outlet such as a lake or sea. There are two main river basins in Nunavut: the Thelon River flows into Hudson Bay and the Back River empties into the Arctic Ocean. Most of Nunavut’s area is not drained through large rivers; instead the water flows directly to the ocean through small rivers and streams.
Canada consists of five major ocean basins – those of the Atlantic, Arctic, and Pacific Oceans, Hudson Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico. Nunavut falls within two major ocean basins – the Arctic and Hudson Bay. There are two principal river basins in Nunavut: the Thelon River (with its two large tributaries, the Kazan and the Dubawnt rivers), flows into Hudson Bay; and the Back River which flows into the Arctic Ocean. However most of Nunavut’s area is not drained through large rivers; instead the water flows directly to the ocean through small rivers and streams.
Other Maps in this Series:
- Permafrost, Glaciers and Sea Ice Map | Read about this map
- Snowfall Map | Read about this map
- Terrestrial Ecozones (Nunavut) Map | Read about this map
- Geological Provinces (Nunavut) Map | Read about this map
- Surficial Materials (Nunavut) Map | Read about this map
