The combined population of the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon is approximately:

Discover Canada records this in one direct sentence. The guide writes: The Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon contain one-third of Canada's land mass but have a population of only 100,000. The number the test wants is therefore 100,000.

Two contrasting numbers anchor the territories. Discover Canada commits the Northern Territories to TWO contrasting facts: (1) one-third of Canada's land mass; and (2) population of only 100,000. So the three territories together are vast in geography (one-third of the country) but tiny in population (just 100,000 people total) — making them the most sparsely populated region in Canada.

Three named territories form the Northern region. Discover Canada commits the Northern Territories to THREE specific jurisdictions: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Together these three contain one-third of Canada's land mass but only 100,000 people. The territories were not always this configuration — Yukon Territory was created in 1898; the original NWT was made up in 1870; Nunavut was carved out of the eastern NWT in 1999.

The Northern Territories have specific features. Discover Canada writes: "There are gold, lead, copper, diamond and zinc mines. Oil and gas deposits are being developed. The North is often referred to as the 'Land of the Midnight Sun' because at the height of summer, daylight can last up to 24 hours. In winter, the sun disappears and darkness sets in for three months. The Northern territories have long cold winters and short cool summers. Much of the North is made up of tundra, the vast rocky Arctic plain. Because of the cold Arctic climate, there are no trees on the tundra and the soil is permanently frozen." So the territories combine extreme climate (long cold winters, short cool summers, midnight sun, polar darkness) with vast tundra geography and rich mineral resources. The Inuit and other Aboriginal peoples make up significant shares of the population (Nunavut is about 85% Inuit). So when the test asks the combined Northern Territories population, the source-precise answer is approximately 100,000.

The question is testing whether new citizens know the combined Northern Territories population. Discover Canada commits to one number: 100,000. The right test answer matches that.

The wrong answer choices each pick a different number. "50,000" is too low. "250,000" is too high. "500,000" is much too high. Only 100,000 — the source's exact named number — matches.