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.
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (USA and Canada) and Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal waterways. In recent years the polar ice pack has receded in the summer allowing for increased navigation and raising the possibility of future sovereignty and shipping disputes among the six countries bordering the Arctic Ocean (Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Iceland, Norway, Russia, US).
With the discovery of several routes of the Northwest Passage to the East international interest in the Arctic was observed. In 1954 the icebreaker Labrador became the first medium-sized vessel to navigate the Northwest Passage and in 1960 the United States Navy nuclear submarine Sea Dragon completed the passage.
See a map of the Arctic Region.
Iceberg in the Arctic region.
Map of the Arctic Region. Source: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, Natural Resources Canada - 2005.
This picture was taken by Jeremy Harbeck. It is an iceberg at North Star Bay, in Greenland.
Family of polar bears in the Arctic region. Polar bears can be found throughout Arctic regions, usually on drifting oceanic ice floes. In 1973, an international agreement allowed the hunting of polar bears only by local populations with traditional weapons.
A couple of arctic fox. It is found throughout the Arctic, usually on tundra.
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Arctic Region
