#Artic circle skin#

Polar bears also have black skin to soak up as much of the sun's rays as possible. Arctic foxes, polar bears, and caribou have hollow hair that traps air, providing them with insulation. It is one of the most biologically productive ecosystems in the world, supporting many large fisheries and huge populations of migratory birds that come to the Arctic in the summer to breed.Īrctic wildlife have special adaptations that enable them to survive in their icy and changeable environment. The Arctic is a unique ecosystem with a complex food web made up of organisms adapted to its extreme conditions. Many Arctic people now live with modern homes and appliances, however, there's still a desire to pass on traditional knowledge and skills-such as hunting, fishing, herding, and native languages-to younger generations. To adapt to the harsh climate, they developed warm dwellings and protective clothing. The Yu'pik, Iñupiat, and Athabascan are also native groups to Alaska's Arctic region. Tribes, such as the Gwich'in people of northeast Alaska and Canada's northern Yukon and Northwest Territories, depend on the migratory caribou herds and the Arctic fisheries for food. A short growing season, permafrost, and long, dark winters of extreme cold and strong winds mean the Arctic is nearly treeless and only small plants can grow.Īlthough the Arctic is gaining popularity worldwide as a tourism and wildlife-watching destination, the region has always been vital to the identity, culture, and survival of its indigenous people. Average lows reach -40 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter and average highs reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Throughout the year, temperatures can span a wide range.

An Arctic winter has days without sunlight, and the summer has days where the sun never sets (which is why it's called the 'land of the midnight sun'). The central part of the Arctic (around the North Pole) is surrounded with large areas of sea ice.īecause of its polar location and the tilt of the Earth, the Arctic does not have the normal seasons that we are used to in the continental United States. The outer edge of the Arctic-which includes areas of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia-is made up of glaciers and tundra (treeless plains with frozen ground called permafrost). The Arctic region covers much of Earth's northern pole. Yet the Arctic is actually teeming with wildlife, from large mammals like walruses and polar bears to birds, fish, small plants, and even tiny ocean organisms called plankton. It sits at the top of world, covered in sea ice-a seemingly unwelcome place for life. Many locations offer village tours, visitor centers and historic sites, the aurora borealis, wildlife viewing and more.įairbanks, located in the middle of Alaska, is the perfect basecamp to explore the region surrounding the community and the Arctic.The Arctic is a region of extremes: extreme cold, extreme seasonal changes in daylight, and extreme winds. Discover the enchanted treeless Arctic plain or walk the frozen shores of the Arctic Ocean at the northernmost point in North America. Fly bush mail routes into rural communities accessible only by air. Cross the Arctic Circle and explore regions farther north like the Brooks Range, the Gates of the Arctic National Park, Coldfoot, Wiseman, Fort Yukon, Bettles, Anaktuvuk Pass, Prudhoe Bay and Kaktovik.

See the mighty Yukon River and spot a muskox or an Arctic fox. As a basecamp, you can experience the vast wilderness panoramas, tundra-laden landscape, and the indigenous cultures that define Alaska’s Arctic. The 415-mile long road is 75% gravel and 25% paved and has limited or no cell reception.įairbanks is the perfect jumping off point to begin trips into the Arctic. Tour via van, motorcoach or plane up the Dalton Highway, also known as the Haul Road, and cross over that invisible line that puts you in the company of ice road truckers, Alaska pipeline workers and intrepid travelers. This place that many dream about visiting is 196 driving miles (or 140 air miles) north of Fairbanks. The Arctic Circle sparks the imagination like few other places on earth.Īt latitude 66° 33’ north, the sun does not rise for one day during winter solstice, December 21, nor does it set for one day during summer solstice, June 21.