ARCTIC OCEAN REGION

It includes the Arctic Ocean and the North Polar Seas.

ARTIC OCEAN

Area: 12. 9 million sq. km.

NORTH POLAR SEAS

Area: 14, 8 million sq. km.

Lands adjacent to the Arctic Ocean belong to Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway and CIS.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REGION

·         Stationary polar ice. Polar ice is about 3 m thick and is located directly over the North pole

·         Strong winds, high atmospheric pressure prevails.

·         Absence of vegetation(only mosses and lichens at very few place may be found).

·         The coldest place in the northern hemisphere is not the north pole*because of moderating influence of arctic ocean) but 2,414 km south of North pole(Siberian town of Verkhoyansk).

·         Polar bear is the best known animal in the Arctic Region.

·         Huge Alaskan oil reserves is the most important resources of the region.

·         The arctic fringe and off shore islands are part of CIS  territory and it is a very sensitive area with aircraft and missile detection devices. Now the region is becoming new home for many resin scientists.