Pingualuit National Park, Arctic nature reserve in Nunavik, Canada.
Pingualuit National Park is an Arctic nature reserve in northwestern Quebec covering about 1,130 square kilometers of tundra landscape. The area sits on permafrost and contains a meteorite crater with Pingualuk Lake resting deep inside it.
Quebec established this protected area in 2004 after decades of scientific study of the meteorite impact crater. The impact itself happened about 1.4 million years ago and shaped the region's geology.
The name comes from the Inuit language meaning where the land rises, showing how the local communities connect with this region. Indigenous people have relied on these lands as part of their way of life for generations.
The park is mainly accessible through the Inuit village of Kangiqsujuaq and needs careful planning before a visit. July through September offers the best conditions for hiking with warmer weather, while March to April works for winter activities.
The water in Pingualuk Lake ranks among the purest on Earth because it comes only from rain and snow falling directly into the crater walls. This extreme purity makes the lake an extraordinary natural laboratory for water research.
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