The Yukon River is the third longest river in North America,
flowing northwest from the Coastal Range mountains of northern
British Columbia, through the Yukon Territory and Alaska to the
Bering Sea. Its overall length is 3185 kilometers (km), with
1149 km within Canadian borders. The watershed's total drainage
area is 840 000 sq. km (323 800 sq. km in Canada) and it
discharges 195 cubic kilometers of water per year. The Yukon
River arises from Tagish, Atlin and Teslin Lakes in northern
British Columbia. It initially flows northwest through majestic
gorges and deep valleys in the Yukon Territory, passing the
settlements of Whitehorse, Carmacks, Fort Selkirk and Dawson
City. From its source to Dawson City the river contains an
almost unbroken chain of islands. Just before Dawson there are
several wide stretches with majestic curves. From that point to
beyond the Alaskan border the river is flanked by hills and
confined to a single, broad channel broken only by occasional
islands. The Yukon river's principal tr