British Arctic Territories

British Arctic Territories
British Arctic Territories
1576–1880
	Flag
Status	Former territory of the British Empire
Government	Colonial administration by the United Kingdom government
Establishment
Historical era	Age of Discovery
• Expeditions of Martin Frobisher	1576, 1577, 1578
• English territorial claim	1576
• Transfer to Canada	Adjacent Territories Order, 31 July, 1880
• Disestablished	1880
	Succeeded by
Canada
Today part of	Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, Canada

The British Arctic Territories were a region of British North America, composed of islands to the north of continental North America. They are now known as the Arctic Archipelago.

The British claim to the area was based on the discoveries of

order in council, the Adjacent Territories Order, under the royal prerogative.^[1]^[2] That was made out of fear of the United States' interest in the area as part of the Monroe Doctrine.^[2]

Britain had in 1870

North-West Territories, spelled the Northwest Territories from 1906.^[3]^[4]

On 1 April 1999, the territory of

Victoria Island, Melville Island, Mackenzie King Island, and Borden Island

.

The islands were never part of Rupert's Land (

Province of Manitoba, originally a square 18 times less its current size, as well as the new Northwest Territories, which by 1999 had ceded land to create today's Yukon and Nunavut Territories and the Provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, and ceded land to existing provinces' expansions into northern Ontario, northern Quebec, all of Manitoba, and the northeastern tip of British Columbia

.

British Arctic Territory flag hoax

Flags of the World has a tradition of posting a new flag for the British Arctic Territory every 1 April. It has led to some persistent misinformation on the web.^[5]

References

^ Order of Her Majesty in Council admitting all British possessions and Territories in North America and islands adjacent thereto into the Union, at the Court at Osborne House. Isle of Wight, the 31st day of July, 1880.
^ ^a ^b Smith, Gordon. "THE TRANSFER OF ARCTIC TERRITORIES FROM GREAT BRITAIN TO CANADA IN 1880, AND SOME RELATED MATTERS, AS SEEN IN OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE'" (PDF). pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
^ "History of the Name of the Northwest Territories". Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. Government of the Northwest Territories. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
^ Northwest Territories Act | The Revised Statutes of Canada 1906 v.2 (Chapter 62). The Government of Canada. 1906. p. 1151–1173. Retrieved 29 September 2021 – via Internet Archive.
^ "British Arctic Territory Flag Hoax". www.crwflags.com.

[1] Order of Her Majesty in Council admitting all British possessions and Territories in North America and islands adjacent thereto into the Union, at the Court at Osborne House. Isle of Wight, the 31st day of July, 1880.

[pubs-2] Smith, Gordon. "THE TRANSFER OF ARCTIC TERRITORIES FROM GREAT BRITAIN TO CANADA IN 1880, AND SOME RELATED MATTERS, AS SEEN IN OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE'" (PDF). pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2020.

[3] "History of the Name of the Northwest Territories". Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. Government of the Northwest Territories. Retrieved 29 September 2021.

[4] Northwest Territories Act | The Revised Statutes of Canada 1906 v.2 (Chapter 62). The Government of Canada. 1906. p. 1151–1173. Retrieved 29 September 2021 – via Internet Archive.

[BATFH-5] "British Arctic Territory Flag Hoax". www.crwflags.com.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

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British Arctic Territory flag hoax

See also

References