What is the capital of the Northwest Territories?

Discover Canada records this in one direct sentence. The guide writes: The Northwest Territories (N.W.T.) were originally made up in 1870 from Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory. The capital, Yellowknife (population 20,000), is called the "diamond capital of North America". The capital the test wants is therefore Yellowknife.

Yellowknife has a distinctive nickname. Discover Canada calls it the "diamond capital of North America," reflecting the territory's named diamond-mining industry. With a named population of about 20,000, it is one of the smaller capitals in Canada — but as the seat of territorial government for the Northwest Territories, it is the named federal-government's main administrative anchor in that region.

The Northwest Territories itself dates to 1870. Discover Canada writes that it was "originally made up in 1870 from Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory." Since then, parts have been carved off — most recently in 1999 when Nunavut was established "from the eastern part of the Northwest Territories." What remains is still a large territory anchored at Yellowknife.

Population profile is also notable. Discover Canada writes: "More than half the population is Aboriginal (Dene, Inuit and Métis). The Mackenzie River, at 4,200 kilometres, is the second-longest river system in North America after the Mississippi and drains an area of 1.8 million square kilometres." So the Northwest Territories is the named territory with a majority-Aboriginal population (Dene, Inuit, and Métis named in the guide) and is home to the country's longest national river system.

The named Northern Territories cover one-third of Canada's land mass. Discover Canada commits the named three Northern Territories — Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut — to a specific share: "The Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon contain one-third of Canada's land mass but have a population of about 100,000 — much less than 1% of Canada's population." So Yellowknife sits in a vast, sparsely-populated named region. The named territory experiences long, cold winters and short cool summers — and is the only Canadian territory that names diamond mining as a major industry. So when the test asks the capital of the Northwest Territories, the source-precise answer is Yellowknife.

The question is testing whether new citizens know the capital of the Northwest Territories. Discover Canada commits to one answer: Yellowknife. The right test answer matches that.

The wrong answer choices each pick a city Discover Canada describes elsewhere. Iqaluit is the capital of Nunavut, not the Northwest Territories. Whitehorse is in Yukon. A fourth answer choice is a place Discover Canada does not name as the capital. Only Yellowknife matches.