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Auyuittuq National Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Auyuittuq National Park | |
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| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
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| Location: | Nunavut, Canada |
| Nearest city: | Pangnirtung, Qikiqtarjuaq |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 21,471 km² |
| Established: | 1976 |
| Governing body: | Parks Canada |
Auyuittuq National Park is a national park located on Baffin Island's Cumberland Peninsula in Nunavut, Canada. It features the many terrains of Arctic wilderness, such as fjords, glaciers, and ice fields. In Inuktitut - the language of Nunavut's Aboriginal people, Inuit - Auyuittuq means "the land that never melts". Although Auyuittuq was established in 1976 as a national park reserve, it was upgraded to a full national park in 2000.
Little vegetation can be found in Auyuittuq Park, although the plants that are found there range from flowers such as Mountain Avens, Campion, Papaver, and Saxifrage to shrubs like Dwarf Birch, Arctic Willow, and heather. Many of the plants in Auyuittuq Park grow in clumps to create their own warmer "microclimate" to survive the harsh arctic conditions.
Because of the exceptionally low vegetation supply, wildlife is very scare. There are only 12 species of mammals that live in Auyuittuq Park and these range from Lemmings (both the North American Brown Lemming and the Northern Collared Lemming), Arctic Hare, and Ermine to Polar Bear, Arctic Fox, and some Barren-ground Caribou.
The nearest towns are Qikiqtarjuaq and Pangnirtung. Visitors wishing to enter the park are required to register at the park office in Pangnirtung or Qikiqtarjuaq, and must attend a mandatory orientation session. Park user fees apply.
The most common backpacking route in the park is known as Akshayuk Pass, and follows the Weasel and Owl Rivers via Summit Lake.
Well known peaks include Mount Asgard (shown in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me) with an 800 meter (2625 foot) face, and Mount Thor with a 1,250 meter (4,100 foot), 105° face.
 Mount Asgard, Baffin Island, 2001 |
 Mount Thor Peak, Baffin Island, 1997 |
 Rock formations and glaciers |
 Maktak Fiord Delta |
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| National parks | Aulavik • Auyuittuq • Banff • Bruce Peninsula • Cape Breton Highlands • Elk Island • Forillon • Fundy • Georgian Bay Islands • Glacier • Grasslands • Gros Morne • Ivvavik • Jasper • Kejimkujik • Kluane • Kootenay • Kouchibouguac • La Mauricie • Mount Revelstoke • Point Pelee • Prince Edward Island • Pukaswa • Prince Albert • Quttinirpaaq • Riding Mountain • Sirmilik • St. Lawrence Islands • Terra Nova • Tuktut Nogait • Ukkusiksalik • Vuntut • Wapusk • Waterton Lakes • Wood Buffalo • Yoho |
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| National Park Reserves | Gulf Islands • Gwaii Haanas • Pacific Rim • Torngat Mountains • Mingan Archipelago • Kluane • Nahanni • Tuktut Nogait | |
| Marine Conservation | Fathom Five • Saguenay-St. Lawrence | |
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Bathurst Inlet · Cambridge Bay · Gjoa Haven · Kugaaruk · Kugluktuk · Taloyoak · Umingmaktok |
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Auyuittuq · Quttinirpaaq · Sirmilik · Ukkusiksalik | Ijiraliq · Inuujarvik · Bloody Falls · North West Passage · Ovayok |
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