Arctic Lands/The North Region

Geography

A map showing all of the geographic regions of Canada

A map showing the latitude and longitude of Canada

Canada's Arctic Lands were formed by glaciation over much of Northern Canada. This region is North of the tree line and has little plant life. A great part of the Arctic Lands is made up of rocks, specifically igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Most of the land in this region is covered in permafrost, and only thaws out for a few months of the year. Lowlands, plateaus, ice caps, and mountains are all found in this region. In the South, there are plains and small, rolling hills. In the North, there are glaciers and mountains, which are made up of bedrock outcrops. Most of the islands in this region are made up of folded sedimentary rocks, producing mountains on the islands. A unique land form found in the Arctic Lands is a pingo. 

Climate

The average Winter temperature in the Arctic Lands in -34 degrees Celsius, and in the Summer, the average temperature is 3 - 12 degrees Celsius. Most of the precipitation in this region comes as snow, and there is usually less than 10 inches each year.

Climograph of Hall Beach, NT

Climograph of Iqauit, NT

Climograph of Grise Fjord, NT

The active layer of soil that thaws out in the Summer is not very deep, but the permafrost layer can go as deep as 650 meters below the ground. The soil in this region can be classified as either Gelisols or Cryosols, which means that the soil is easily eroded, and have permafrost with an active layer on top. The climate here is like this because the arctic is tilted away from the sun, so it does not get as much heat as other regions. Climate change has mainly had a negative impact on the Arctic Lands region. For example, Arctic sea ice, glaciers, and permafrost are all melting. The thickness of sea ice has decreased by half over the past 60 years and glaciers all over the world are getting smaller and smaller. This could potentially change ocean circulation. This, along with the melting permafrost, could rise sea levels, threatening wetlands, coral reefs, and coastal communities.

Flora And Fauna

Although no big plants or trees grow in the Arctic Lands, there about 1700 different kinds of small, shallow-rooted plants that do grow, including lichens, grasses, mosses, flowering plants like purple saxifrage, mountain avens, arctic poppies, and buttercups, and dwarf shrubs, which are low-growing, woody plants. These plants can grow in this extreme environment because their shallow roots only need the thin, thawed out part of the ground to grow. Other ways that plants have adapted to the cold include growing close together to preserve heat, fuzzy coating on the stems, leaves, and buds, and cup-shaped flowers that face up, so the sun's heat is directed at the flower.

One of the many types of Lichen found in the Arctic Lands

Many animals also live in the Arctic Lands, such as caribou, lemmings, musk oxen, arctic foxes, wolves, and polar bears. These animals have very thick fur coats to help keep them warm. Some animals also live in the water, like walruses, seals, whales, and many types of fish. Mammals that live in the water have a layer of blubber to keep them from freezing to death. The fish keep themselves from freezing by producing an antifreeze-like protein in their blood. Many types of birds also migrate the Arctic Lands in the Spring months to nest and raise their young. While most birds fly South in the Fall, the ptarmigan stays all year round.

A polar bear in the Arctic Lands

Human Geography

The population of the Arctic Lands is very small, only about 14 000, and spread out, mostly because it is very hard to survive in the type of environment the region presents. For example, the city of Grise Fjord has a population of only 163 people, and all of Nunavut only has 28 cities. Some major cities in the Arctic Lands are Iqaluit, with 6200 people, Inuvik, with 3484 people, and Hall Beach, with 736 people. Most people who live in the Arctic Lands are Inuit people, and they have lived in the region for thousands of years. They hunt seals, caribou, and whales for food, and they also trap and fish. The Inuit made boots, parkas, and pants out of caribou hide and sealskin.  Humans have also found uranium, nickel, copper, zinc, silver, gold, and diamonds in the Arctic Lands as well as oil and natural gas.  The Inuit build landmarks called Inuksuits using rocks to guide hunters and travellers.

Two Inuit people hunting for seals

An inuksuit built by the Inuit

Economy

In the past, the economy of the Arctic Lands was built around fur trading, whaling, sealing, the gold rush, and mineral exploration. The search for the Northwest Passage also attracted many Europeans. Today, the economy is mainly built around oil and mining. The Ekati Mine produces 4 million carats of diamonds each year, but the 1998 projection suggested that in 2015, the mine may begin to run out. Oil companies have been trying to get as much oil as they can, but the environmental challenges of the region have made this very hard. For example, artificial islands were built on the Beaufort Sea to get at its oil, but the pressure from the arctic ice makes it hard for them to operate efficiently. As a result, it is hard for the industries in the Arctic Lands to export their goods and make expand the economy. The only major uses of natural resources in this region are oil and diamonds. 

A bird's eye view of the Ekati Mine

Environmental Concerns

A major environmental concern in the Arctic Lands is air pollution. Pollutants such as organochlorines and heavy metals are carried into the arctic on air currents from densely populated areas. Several plant forms, especially lichens, are harmed by this. Lichens are so vulnerable to air pollution because they don't have roots, so they get the majority of their nutrients from the air. Because of this, lichens are commonly used as a natural air pollution detector. Air pollution also causes acid rain, which speeds up the melting of the arctic ice. Humans have influenced this problem because we are the only ones that create air pollution. Some solutions to this problem are to use cleaner fuel, such as natural gas, using less fuel, encouraging mass transit like buses, and producing pollutant-resistant strains of vegetation. Some conflicts in promoted solutions are present because solutions to one problem can cause more problems for another. For example, electric cars would reduce air pollution in cities, but would cause other problems with the disposable of the batteries and the emissions from the power stations. Also, the replacement of CFCs, chlorofluorocarbons, with other gases could reduce ozone depletion, but would cause other problems with climate change. I believe the best solution to this problem is to just try to reduce the amount of air pollution as best we can by riding bikes, taking buses, carpooling, walking, or anything else we can think of.     

Comparison To Another Location

Another place in the world that is similar to the Arctic Lands is the Siberian Tundra. Like plants and animals of the Canadian Arctic Lands, plants and animals here also have adapted to their environment by growing close together, growing close to the ground, having shallow roots, and having thick fur or blubber. Humans there hunt and trap animals for food.

Climograph of Surgut, Russia

The biggest economic activities in the Siberian Tundra are, like the Arctic Lands, oil and mining, which have put much pollution into the air. Other economic activities in the Siberian Tundra include aluminum refining and pulp making.