LIVING IN THE ARCTIC. © Judith Varney Burch © John Zobel

An Arctic view of the world

ARCTIC SETTLEMENTS. Settlements in Arctic regions have often been set up for political or resource extraction reasons. Indigenous people have in the past practised nomadic hunting of marine and land animals. Nowadays semi nomadic subsistence hunting and reindeer herding is carried on by such Arctic peoples as the Inuit and the Sami under local, national and international regulation. Indigenous peoples are nowadays mostly settled in a number of small settlements and towns throughout the Arctic. Migrants to these settlements tend to be employed in the service or resource extraction industries. ©Anne Marie Magga ealát.org © S.Burgess © R.Molony Why would semi nomadic reindeer herders use a Yaranga (a type of tent) in the 21 st century? What problems would a town planner face in building a new settlement in the Arctic? Siorapaluk is the most northerly indigenous permanent settlement in the world. How would climate change affect the inhabitants in the future?

Climate and equipment. Outline the special equipment you might need to travel on Arctic sea in the month of April near Qaanaaq when the temperature could fall to minus 30 degrees Celsius? What special equipment might an expedition require to travel in temperatures of 6 degrees Celsius from Uelen to Little Diomede Island in July? © R.Molony © R. Burgess

Counting calories © S. Burgess Ellen Inga Turi Ealát.org Food cannot be grown in the Arctic due to the low temperatures and the frozen soil. Indigenous people have utilised a variety of animals for food including reindeer and fish. The low temperatures require a higher calorie intake than inhabitants of warmer parts of the planet. Any additional food supplies have to be imported into the area by air or sea transport. Design a ration pack that a Geographer studying global warming might require for a three month expedition in the High Arctic.

Travel in the Arctic regions. Arctic travelling requires a variety of specialist transport to deal with the difficult and changing climatic conditions that can be experienced in the region. Why are these forms of transport suitable for Arctic conditions? Dog team travelling near Inchoun Chukotka © S. Burgess Bush plane delivering supplies to Wales Alaska © S. Burgess Vezdekhod tracked vehicles travelling across the tundra in Chukotka © S. Burgess Russian ice breaker Qaanaaq Greenland © R.Molony