🧊 Lesson 44: The Arctic Race

The Arctic is the region around the North Pole. It includes ocean, sea ice, islands, tundra, Indigenous communities, wildlife, shipping routes, and major natural resources.

Arctic sea ice has been shrinking in many years. Less ice can open shipping routes, but it also threatens ecosystems, wildlife, traditional ways of life, and global climate patterns.

Canada, Russia, the United States, Denmark/Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland are often called Arctic states or closely connected Arctic countries.

The Arctic may contain oil, gas, minerals, fish, and freshwater. Extracting resources is difficult because of cold, darkness, distance, storms, ice, and environmental risk.

The Northern Sea Route along Russia and the Northwest Passage through Canada's Arctic are famous potential shortcuts. But ice, weather, safety, and politics make Arctic shipping complicated.

The Arctic is not empty. Inuit, Sámi, Nenets, and many other Indigenous peoples live in Arctic regions. Their knowledge and rights matter in any discussion of the Arctic future.