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Arctic Facts

What Does “Arctic” Mean?

The word “Arctic” comes from the Greek word for bear, arktos. It refers to two celestial constellations visible in the northern night sky year-round: Ursa Major ("Great Bear") and Ursa Minor ("Little Bear"), which contains Polaris, the North Star.

How Big is the Arctic?

The Arctic region covers more than 18 million square miles (30 million square kilometers)—one sixth of the planet’s landmass—and spans 24 time zones.

How Does the Arctic Ocean Compare to Other World Oceans?

The Arctic Ocean is the world’s smallest and shallowest, with an average depth of roughly a thousand meters (about 3,450 feet). Vast ledges of subsea land extend from the surrounding continents and underlie nearly two thirds of the ocean.

What’s the Population of the Arctic? How Long Have People Lived There?

Humans have inhabited the Arctic for thousands of years. The current population of roughly four million people includes more than thirty different indigenous peoples, as well as Caucasians.

Who Governs the Arctic?

The region has no single government. The Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum, works to promote cooperation, coordination, and interaction among the eight sovereign states (Canada, Denmark/Greenland, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United States) and the region’s indigenous peoples.

Will the Arctic Benefit from Climate Change?

If Arctic sea ice continues to disappear as projected, opportunities will likely grow for expanding navigation and new shipping routes, the exploitation of untapped deposits of fossil fuels, and more tourism. At the same time, sweeping changes to the environment will be ongoing, due to global warming.

How Biologically Diverse is the Arctic?

As one of the world’s last and most extensive wilderness areas, the Far North is critical to global biodiversity. Hundreds of unique plant and animal species inhabit Arctic lands and seas, and many animals—particularly Northern Hemisphere whales and bird populations from around the world—migrate to the region to breed and feed. 

What are the Arctic’s Most Important Economic Activities?

The Arctic economy has focused largely on the extraction of petroleum and mineral resources, and one tenth of the world’s oil and a quarter of its natural gas now come from the region. Commercial fishing, as well as traditional methods of hunting, fishing, and reindeer herding, are other important economic activities.