Polaris, the North Star, is located almost directly above the North Pole. Around it are the stars that form the constellation known as Ursa Major, the Great Bear. The term "Arctic" comes from the ancient Greek word Arktikós, the country of the Great Bear.

Earth’s northern polar region consists of a vast ocean surrounded by land, in contrast to the southern polar region, in which an ice-covered continent is surrounded by ocean.

Perhaps the most striking features are the snow and ice that cover much of thearctic land and sea surface, particularly in the high Arctic. And draped like a pair of great green shawls over the shoulders of the two facing continents are the boreal (meaning northern) forests. A wide expanse of tundra – treeless plains over frozen ground – lies between the icy high north and the forested sub-arctic. One line often used to define the region is the Arctic Circle, drawn at the latitude north of which the sun does not rise above the horizon at winter solstice and does not set below it at summer solstice – “the land of the midnight sun”.

Other boundaries used to define the Arctic include treeline, climatic boundaries, and permafrost extent on land and sea-ice extent on the ocean. For the purposes of this assessment, the boundary will be more flexible, also encompassing sub-arctic areas integral to the functioning of the arctic system.

High arctic lands and seas are home to an array of plants, animals, and people that survive in some of the most extreme conditions on the planet. From the algae that live on the underside of sea ice, to the polar bears that hunt on top of the ice, to the indigenous human societies that have developed in close connection with their environment, these communities are uniquely adapted to what many outside the region would view as a very severe climate. Life in the Arctic has historically been both vulnerable and resilient. Factors that contribute to the Arctic’s vulnerability include its relatively short growing season and smaller variety of living things compared to temperate regions.

In addition, arctic climate is highly variable, and a sudden summer storm or freeze can wipe out an entire generation of young birds, thousands of seal pups, or hundreds of caribou calves. Yet some arctic species have also displayed remarkable resilience to historic extremes, as evidenced by the recovery of populations that have occasionally been decimated by climatic variations.  

·      Geography

·      Demography and Population

·      Indigenous People

·      Economy of the Region

·      Weather and Climate

·      Terrestrial Biosphere

·      Freshwater Systems

·      Marine Ecosystems

·      Natural Resources