Northwest Territories: Region in western Canada also known as Rupert's Land, acquired by the Canadian Government in 1869. The Northwest Territories Act of 1875 determined that the area would be governed by an appointed council until such time as the population warranted the necessity of elected officials. The capital of the region was initially Battleford, until 1882 when it was moved to Regina. The province of Manitoba was incorporated in 1870, while British Columbia joined confederation the following year. In 1905 the Laurier government created two more western provinces out of the Northwest Territories, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
