Arctic Region

The Arctic is the region around the North Pole, usually understood as the area within the Arctic Circle. It includes parts of Russia, Scandinavia, Greenland, Canada, Alaska and the Arctic Ocean.

During winter, the whole area is normally covered by ice and temperature easily reaches -60° C. During summer, the tundra is the main vegetation and, in the warmest parts of the Arctic, shrubs, willow, and birch can be found. Animal life is poor in the number of species. There are, for example, polar bears, arctic foxes and musk oxen. See a map of the Arctic Region.

The Eskimos

Eskimos are the native population of the Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, Alaska and Siberia. There are different groups of Eskimos, such as Inuit, Alutiit, Yupik, and Inupiat, living in different regions or speaking different dialects.

It is estimated that Eskimos live in the Arctic or sub-Arctic regions for more than 3,000 years. Today the total population of Eskimos is more than 100,000 people.

Pytheas, a Greek, was the first known explorer to describe the far north. In the late 4th century BC, he claimed to have sailed to an island in the north. In the late 15th century, the navigator John Cabot proposed the existence of a direct route to the East via the Northwest Passage. Thus, during the 16th century, Europeans began to investigate the possibility of a Northwest Passage that would offer a safer sea route to the East than those exposed to possible Spanish or Portuguese attacks. This search would continue for over 300 years, during which explorers would brave the harsh climate and treacherous ice conditions of the North. Some men lost their lives to starvation, scurvy, and attacks by the region's aborigines. During the search for the Northwest Passage, the Canadian Arctic began to take shape with the discovery of new lands and waterways.

Russian Arctic, Bering Sea. Where Asia meets America. During winter, the Bering Sea can be completely frozen. The Bering Strait is a relatively shallow passage of about 30 to 50 meters, in depth.

Dogteams and icebergs in the Northwest Passage, Canada. Since the 16th century, explorers searched for the Northwest Passage to India, the Canadian Arctic lands began to be discovered by these European explorers.

Ice formations in an Iceberg, in the Arctic region (left). A person approaches an iceberg in the Northwest Territories. A region of the Arctic (right).