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Whitehorse

By Susan Munroe, About.com

Definition: Whitehorse is the capital city of the Yukon Territory, Canada. Whitehorse is located just off the Alaska Highway, on the Yukon River about 105 kilometres (65 miles) north of the British Columbia border.

Whitehorse gets its name from the White Horse Rapids on the Yukon River, which were a major obstacle on the Trail of '98 for prospectors during the Klondike Gold Rush. The frothing rapids were said to resemble the manes of white, charging horses. With the construction of the Whitehorse hydro-electric dam in 1958, the rapids were covered by the Schwatka Lake reservoir.

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