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Outstanding rivers of natural, cultural historical, and recreational values are insured long-term management and conservation by the Canada Heritage Rivers System (CHRS). Three of Canada’s 28 Heritage Rivers flow in Nunavut: the Thelon, Kazan, and Soper rivers. These rivers reflect the physical and cultural heritage of Nunavut.

The Canadian Heritage Rivers System (CHRS) is Canada's national river conservation program. Established in 1984, the CHRS gives national recognition to Canada's outstanding rivers and encourages their longterm management to conserve their natural, cultural and recreational values for the benefit and enjoyment of Canadians, now and in the future. There are currently 42 Canadian Heritage Rivers, 4 are in the Yukon. For more information about CHRS refer to www.chrs.ca

World Heritage Sites represent exceptional natural and cultural areas recognized internationally by the World Heritage Convention of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This map locates the World Heritage sites in Canada.

This map shows the locations of more than 1000 museums that are members of the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), a Special Operating Agency of the Canadian Heritage Department.

This map locates the National Historic Sites administered by Parks Canada and the five UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites located in Canada. National Historic Sites are maintained to commemorate significant historic places, people and events.

National Parks and National Marine Conservation Areas form a countrywide network of areas set aside by Canada for their great natural interest. They are protected for public understanding, enjoyment and appreciation.

A drainage basin is the area that drains all precipitation into a river or stream system into a common outlet such as a lake or sea. There are two main river basins in Nunavut: the Thelon River flows into Hudson Bay and the Back River empties into the Arctic Ocean. Most of Nunavut’s area is not drained through large rivers; instead the water flows directly to the ocean through small rivers and streams.

A drainage basin is an area that drains all precipitation received as a runoff or base flow (groundwater sources) into a particular river or set of rivers. Canada’s major drainage regions are the Atlantic Ocean, Hudson Bay, Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Rivers are organized into networks, each with its own recharge area upstream, and drainage channel and mouth downstream. Networks are ordered from ocean to main river to secondary rivers to streams which correspond to ocean basins, river basins, sub-basins, sub-sub-basins, and so forth.

The most sensitive river regions include the Atlantic coast, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Valley regions, the Rocky Mountains and the Prairies. The sensitivity projection for Canada's river regions in response to climate warming was derived based on an examination of the effects of projected precipitation changes on landscapes. Climate warming has the potential to cause substantial changes to flow in rivers. The most direct effects of projected climate change would be an increase in floods and river erosion.

A watershed is an area that drains all precipitation received as a runoff or base flow (groundwater sources) into a particular river or set of rivers. The easiest way to describe the network of rivers and lakes on a small-scale map is to show the watersheds. In Canada, there is a detailed hierarchy of watersheds, ranging from the largest (drainage into oceans and their equivalents), down to the smallest ramification. Canada’s ocean watersheds are the Atlantic Ocean, Hudson Bay, Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.