Mining Explorers 2012: Explorers flock to Far North

Companies chasing mineral riches in Nunavut in 2012 are expected to meet and surpass the brisk pace of exploration set a year earlier. But the race to discover major deposits of precious and base metals, along with uranium, diamonds and other commodities, in one of Canada's most underexplored and prospective jurisdictions is only just beginning.

At one-fifth the size of Canada, Nunavut covers 1,99...