The Arctic is an ocean, largely covered by gigantic areas of thick ice and surrounded by continents. This enormous landscape covers at least part of eight countries – the United States, Canada, Greenland, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Sweden.
Where is it?
The Arctic is located at the northern most point of the globe.
What animals can be found here?
In spite of its sub-zero temperatures, many species have adapted to life here including: the polar bear, Arctic fox, Arctic wolf, walrus, many species of seal, Pacific and Atlantic salmon and the Beluga whale. To find out more about polar bears check out our polar bear fact file
Do people live here too?
Yes. There are approximately 4 million people in the Arctic. For thousands of years people have been closely tied to the wildlife and habitats around the Arctic. The word ‘Inuit’ describes people who live in the high Arctic. Roughly one third of these people are native to this region.
I never knew that!
It is hard to believe, but parts of the Arctic are classified as a ‘polar desert’ due to the low level of annual precipitation (rain or snow).