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The Mackenzie River originates in Great Slave Lake and flows north into the Arctic Ocean. It is the longest river in Canada and, together with its headstreams, the Peace River and the Finlay River , the second longest river in North America at 4241 km in length. The Mississippi- Missouri is longer.

The large marshy delta of the Mackenzie River provides habitat for migrating Snow Geese, Tundra Swans and Brant as well as breeding habitat for other waterfowl. The estuary is a calving area for Beluga whales.

The river is navigable for approximately five months of the year. It freezes over in October and the ice on the river breaks up in May. During the winter months, sections of the river are used as an ice road.

The Mackenzie was named after Alexander Mackenzie who travelled the river while trying to reach the Pacific Ocean. The divide between the Mackenzie basin and the basin of the Yukon River to the west forms the boundary between Northwest TerritoriesA former territory in the United States is called Northwest Territory . Northwest Territories Territoires du Nord-Ouest ( In Detail) ( In Detail) Motto: None Capital Yellowknife Official Languages Chipewyan, Cree, Dogrib or Tli Cho, English, French, Gwich and YukonThis article is about Yukon Territory in Canada. See Yukon (disambiguation) for other uses. Yukon ( In Detail) ( In Detail) Motto: none Capital Whitehorse Largest City Whitehorse Area Total % fresh water 9th largest(3rd lgst terr. 482 443 km² 1. 7% Popula.

The Mackenzie River system includes:

• Great Bear LakeGreat Bear Lake Sahtu is the largest lake in the Canadian territory of Northwest Territories and the fourth largest in North America. Location The Great Bear Lake is situated on the Arctic Circle between 65 and 67 degrees of northern latitude and between
• Great Slave Lake
• Lake AthabascaLake Athabasca is located in the Northwest corner of Saskatchewan and the Northeast corner of Alberta between the 58° and 60° latitudes. The lake covers 7,850km², is 283 km long, has a maximum width of 50 km, and a maximum depth of 243 metres (797'), maki

and the following rivers:

• Arctic Red
• AthabascaHudson's Bay Company's scow in Athabasca River, circa 1910 The Athabasca River originates from the Athabasca Glacier of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park in Alberta. This river has been designated a Canadian Heritage River because of its impor
• LiardThe Liard River is a river that flows through the Yukon Territory, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, and in Canada. It is 1,215 km (755 miles) long. It begins in the southeast of the Yukon Territory in the Pelly Mountains. It flows southeast
• Peace
• Slave
• South Nahanni