Did you know these facts about the Arctic?

Get the chills on!

The Arctic is the northern most pole of the Earth. The Arctic territories include the Arctic Ocean and some parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and USA. Home to the largest land predator – polar bears, despite being extremely cold, the Arctic circle - like Greenland has a population of over 4 million people. There are many expeditions to reach the North Pole and in fact, remains quite fascinating for ice enthusiasts.

Here are some cool facts about the Arctic.

  1. Arctic Ocean is a small ocean – The smallest of the five major oceans, Arctic Ocean rests on top of the world. It is almost twice the size of Australia, with a spread of over 14 million square kilometers.
  2. You can find unicorn in the sea – Ever heard of narwhal? Narwhals are sea dwelling whales indigenous only to the Arctic. Narwhals have tusks that make them look like unicorns. It is called the unicorn of the sea. However, only the male narwhals have the tusks.
  3. Polar bears are not that white – The fur is basically hollow, transparent hairs, that reflect sunlight and make them appear white. Polar bears do not shed or change colour of their fur for camouflage, like other Arctic mammals. They are also great swimmers.
  4. The fur of Arctic Fox changes colour over seasons – Arctic fox are small-sized mammals that change colour of their fur. During summers, their fur change colour to brown for more camouflage against other predators.
  5. It has four poles – Arctic Circle has four poles – Geographic north pole, The Pole of Inaccessibility, the Pole of Cold, Magnetic North Pole.
  6. Talk about frost flowers – Frost flowers is fascinating thing to be found in the Arctic. It happens when the air temperature is freezing but the ground is warm enough for plants to grow. Plant juices that flow through the roots to the stem, where the air freezes the juices, and they push out through the stem.
  7. Indigenous people’s diet – The Inuits have made the wintery wonderland home. They have gastronomical treats to battle through the harsh cold climate. Meat of arctic seal, saltwater fishes, seal and walrus etc. Because of the cold, Inuits rely mostly on meat and fat to keep their bodies warm. There is very little dependency on plant-based diet.
  8. No penguins – Unlike the other polar region, Arctic has no penguins. Arctic is also more inhabited than Antarctica.