# Is Nunavut the largest populated area without any paved roads? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2004, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nunavut-the-largest-populated-area-without-any-paved-roads/262029 "2004-08-29T01:17:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nunavut-the-largest-populated-area-without-any-paved-roads/262029/1 "2004-08-29T01:17:31Z")
I looked at a map of Nunavut Territory, Canada tonight. I do not see a single road which links it with the rest of Canada. There may be ice roads and very remote gravel roads, but I doubt there is a paved road in the entire territory. Am I wrong? Is this the largest (excluding Antarctica) area without paved roads? For some (military) reason, I believe there may be a few paved roads in Siberia. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nunavut-the-largest-populated-area-without-any-paved-roads/262029/2 "2004-08-29T01:41:19Z")
Nunavut = 1.9m sq km. About half the size of the Sahara desert - anyone know if there’s over half of the Sahara without paved roads? ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nunavut-the-largest-populated-area-without-any-paved-roads/262029/3 "2004-08-29T01:50:46Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I looked at a map of Nunavut Territory, Canada tonight. I do not see a single road which links it with the rest of Canada. There may be ice roads and very remote gravel roads, but I doubt there is a paved road in the entire territory. Am I wrong? Is this the largest (excluding Antarctica) area without paved roads? For some (military) reason, I believe there may be a few paved roads in Siberia. Looks like there’s paved roads within Iqaluit (see[Strategic priorities](http://www.city.iqaluit.nu.ca/page.php?user=Tourist&page=csp&mabout=1&mcounc=0&mdept=0&mnew=0&msuser=0)), but you’re right that no roads link it with the rest of Canada - see [Iqaluit tourist guide](http://www.city.iqaluit.nu.ca/Content/About_Iqaluit/PDF_Guides/Tourist.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nunavut-the-largest-populated-area-without-any-paved-roads/262029/4 "2004-08-29T02:04:08Z")
Several sources cite a 21 kilometer stretch between Nanisivik and Arctic Bay as “Nunavut’s only highway”, without saying what kind of surface it is. If anybody ever suggested that highways should be constructed linking the territory to the south, apparently the people who make the decisions ain’t having nunavut. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nunavut-the-largest-populated-area-without-any-paved-roads/262029/5 "2004-08-29T02:09:35Z")
Actually, I believe **dmartin’s** first link refers to plans for future paving. It won’t be cheap to set up a batch plant way up there. As **GorillaMan** states, there are 1.9 million sq km in Nunavut. There are more than 7.5 million sq km in [Amazonia](http://www.edumed.net/Paginas/amazon/region.html) and within that region 3.54 million sq km of _continuous_ forest cover. > [@](#): > > Transportation is done almost exclusively via the wide array of navigable rivers, and therefore is very slow. The second most important mode of transportation is by air. The Amazonian flotilla of boats and planes is therefore one of the largest in the world. Roads are scarce and impassable most of the year: its construction is rendered an almost impossible task by virtue of an astounding number of rivers that sometimes reach a width of more than 20 km! ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nunavut-the-largest-populated-area-without-any-paved-roads/262029/6 "2004-08-29T02:24:51Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > … > If anybody ever suggested that highways should be constructed linking the territory to the south, apparently the people who make the decisions ain’t having nunavut. 😃