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MacKenzie River

Mackenzie River (Deh-Cho, Kuukpak)
Mackenzie from-east.jpg
The Mackenzie River in August 2009
Name origin: Alexander Mackenzie, explorer
Country Canada
Region Yukon, Northwest Territories
Tributaries
 - left Liard River, Keele River, Arctic Red River, Peel River
 - right Great Bear River
Cities Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Wrigley, Tulita, Norman Wells
Source Great Slave Lake
 - location Fort Providence
 - elevation 156 m (512 ft)
 - coordinates 61°12′15″N 117°22′31″W / 61.20417°N 117.37528°W / 61.20417; -117.37528
Mouth Arctic Ocean
 - location Beaufort Sea, Inuvik Region
 - elevation 0 m (0 ft)
 - coordinates 68°56′23″N 136°10′22″W / 68.93972°N 136.17278°W / 68.93972; -136.17278Coordinates: 68°56′23″N 136°10′22″W / 68.93972°N 136.17278°W / 68.93972; -136.17278
Length 1,738 km (1,080 mi)
Basin 1,805,200 km2 (696,992 sq mi)
Discharge for mouth; max and min at Arctic Red confluence
 - average 9,910 m3/s (349,968 cu ft/s)
 - max 31,800 m3/s (1,123,000 cu ft/s)
 - min 2,130 m3/s (75,220 cu ft/s)
Mackenzierivermap-new.png
Map of the Mackenzie River watershed

The Mackenzie River (Slavey language: Deh-Cho, big river or Inuvialuktun: Kuukpak, great river) is the largest and longest river system in Canada, and is exceeded only by the Mississippi River system in North America. It flows through a vast, isolated region of forest and tundra entirely within the country's Yukon and Northwest Territories, although its many tributaries reach into four other Canadian provinces and territories. The river's mainstem runs 1,738 kilometres (1,080 mi) in a northerly direction to the Arctic Ocean, draining a vast area nearly the size of Indonesia. It is the largest river flowing into the Arctic from North America, and with its tributaries is one of the longest rivers in the world.

Rising out of the marshy western end of Great Slave Lake, the Mackenzie River flows generally west-northwest for about 300 km (190 mi), passing the hamlet of Fort Providence. At Fort Simpson it is joined by the Liard River, its largest tributary, then swings towards the Arctic, paralleling the Franklin Mountains as it receives the North Nahanni River. The Keele River enters from the left about 100 km (62 mi) above Tulita, where the Great Bear River joins the Mackenzie. Just before crossing the Arctic Circle, the river passes Norman Wells, then continues northwest to merge with the Arctic Red and Peel rivers. It finally empties into the Beaufort Sea, part of the Arctic Ocean, through the vast Mackenzie Delta.


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Wikipedia

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