Humans have lived in this region for over 4000 years, mainly along the shores of its many lakes and in its wide river valleys, where caribou, moose, and fish were plentiful. The region is well known for the Klondike gold rush (1896-1898), which attracted tens of thousands of prospectors. At its peak, the town of Dawson, born out of the rush, had a floating population of 30,000, and some 60 steamboats operated on the Yukon River. Today, Dawson has a population of 2000 and most mines have shut down. More important in the economy of the area are forestry, tourism, and hydroelectric development, with government-based jobs available in Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon Territory, where almost two-thirds of the zone’s 31,000 people live.

Kluane National Park is located in the Boreal Cordillera ecozone.