Arctic

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Arctic (ärk-tik)

The Arctic is a polar region located at the northernmost part of the Earth. It consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland.

Etymology

The word Arctic comes from the Greek word arktikos, meaning "near the Bear, northern" which is a reference to the constellation Ursa Major, the "Great Bear", prominent in the northern portion of the celestial sphere.

Related Terms

  • Arctic Ocean: The smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans, located mostly in the Arctic north polar region.
  • Arctic Circle: One of the two polar circles and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth.
  • Polar Region: The regions of Earth surrounding the North and South Poles. These regions are characterized by extremely cold temperatures, heavy glaciation, and extreme variations in daylight hours.
  • Permafrost: Ground that remains completely frozen for at least two years straight. These permanently frozen grounds are most common in regions with high latitude (like the Arctic).
  • Ice Cap: A mass of ice that covers less than 50,000 km² of land area (usually covering a highland area). Larger ice masses covering more than 50,000 km² are termed ice sheets.

See Also

External links

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