It refers to two constellations in the northern night sky: Ursa Major (Great Bear) and Ursa Minor (Little Bear), which contains Polaris also known as the North Star. Some parts of the ocean’s surface remain frozen all or most of the year. The size of the Arctic Ocean is around 5,427,000 square miles, which is almost equal to the size of Russian territory. The Arctic fox, with its camouflage of white and gray, is one of the hardiest Arctic animals. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, the USA, Greenland, Norway, Finland, Sweden and... 3. In the Arctic, average winter temperatures can be as low as -40°C (-40°F). Arctic life is characterized by adaptation to short growing seasons with long periods of sunlight, and to cold, dark, snow-covered winter conditions. These foxes gain instant popularity due to their playful nature. (Source: Britannica), 17. (Source: National Geographic), 14. Despite its harsh conditions, the Arctic is home to some amazingly resilient bears, cats, wolves, weasels, and other land mammals. Many areas of the Arctic are covered in ice all year round, and nearly every part of the Arctic has at least one period with some ice. (Source: Britannica), 3. The Greenland ice sheet covers approximately 80% of the land surface of Greenland. In total, only about 4 million people live in the Arctic worldwide, and in most countries indigenous people make up a minority of the Arctic population. Most scientists define the Arctic as the area above the ‘Arctic Circle’, a line of latitude about 66.5° north of the Equator. It is extremely bright and reflects back to space 80% of the sunlight that strikes it. Residents of the Arctic include a number of indigenous groups as well as more recent arrivals from more southern latitudes. In Svalbard in Norway, the sun never fully sets for 125 days from mid-April to mid-August. Some parts of the ocean’s surface remain frozen all or most of the year. (Source: Telegraph), 11. The Arctic is the northernmost region of Earth. Some frozen features, such as glaciers and icebergs, are frozen freshwater. Insects such as mosquitoes and moths are common, especially as icemelt creates ponds during spring and summer. An icebreaker is a very powerful ship capable of breaking up kilometers of sea ice, sometimes several meters thick. This brought to bear the true beauty of the Arctic region. The Arctic Ocean covers approximately 4% of the Earth ’s surface. (Source: NSIDC, National Geographic), 20. Wednesday, 29th April 2020. Midnight Sun is a name given to the sun when it can be seen at midnight during the Arctic or Antarctic summer. Its tail is 1 to 3 inches long. Below we list some of the most interesting facts about the Arctic Ocean for you to learn and enjoy. The Arctic is primarily ocean surrounded by land while Antarctica is primarily land surrounded by ocean. Travel in the Arctic is still dependent on icebreakers. The quest for the Northwest Passage, which would save untold time and money in trade between Europe and Asia, was one of the world’s hardest maritime challenges, requiring a hazardous journey through tens of thousands of giant icebergs. (Source: Crop Trust), 16. Despite these temperature challenges, however, life thrives in this biome. Parts of Greenland were exposed to open ocean for the first time in millennia. There are 64,000 Inuit living throughout Canada. It occupies approximately one sixth of the Earth’s surface. A series of interesting facts about the Arctic, prompted by our recent trip to the Greenland ice sheet. The main difference is seen on the adaptation of arctic hare. Life on and around the sea ice, and freshwater fish, Arctic Fox is found the! Years ago inhospitable places on planet Earth comparison absorbs about 90 % of solar radiation thick-haired,! 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