The Kitikmeot is the westernmost of three administrative regions in Nunavut with its regional seat in Cambridge Bay. The Kitikmeot covers approximately 450,000km2 and has seven communities. With a population of only 5361 according to the 2006 census, the Kitikmeot is a sparsely populated, rugged and remote region defined by its primarily tundra vegetation, the unique wildlife and its Arctic ocean coastline.
Originally defined as the Central Arctic region of the Northwest Territories in 1981, it was renamed the Kitikmeot according to its traditional Inuit name in 1982. Regional boundaries were slightly redefined during the settlement of the land claim and the creation of Nunavut in 1999.
The Kitikmeot Inuit Association manages 103,360km2 of Inuit Owned Lands in the Kitikmeot for the benefit of the Inuit beneficiaries of the region. With significant potential for economic growth in the form of land development and mining, the management of the land and its resources will be critical to the economic, social and cultural future of the region.