THE ARCTIC

The Arctic is the region around the Earth's North Pole. The Arctic includes Arctic Ocean, that overlies the North Pole and parts of Canada, Greenland, Russia, Alaska, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.

The "Arctic" comes from the Greek word αρκτικός; (Arctikos), which means "near the bear, arctic, northern".

The Arctic region can be defined as the area north of the Arctic Circle (66° 33’N), which is the approximate limit of the midnight sun and the polar night. This region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean (which is sometimes considered to be a northern arm of the Atlantic Ocean) surrounded by treeless permafrost. In recent years the extent of the sea ice has declined.

The Arctic region is a unique area among Earth's ecosystems. The cultures in the region and the Arctic indigenous peoples have adapted to its cold and extreme conditions.