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The Arctic
The Arctic is considered to be all land and water north of the Arctic Circle (66˚33’N). It consists of a huge, ice-covered ocean surrounded by treeless permafrost. The countries that extend into the Arctic are Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Canada and the U.S.A. The annual average temperature at the North Pole is -40˚F (-40˚C) in winter and 32˚F (0˚C) in summer. “The average temperatures in the Arctic are rising twice as fast as they are in different places around the world.” Because it is so far north, it is dark for half of the year!
Some of the animals in the Arctic are snowy owls, Arctic hare, wolverine, Canadian lynx, tundra swan, red fox, beluga whale, polar bear, caribou, narwhal, Arctic fox, Atlantic puffin, seals, walrus, lump suckers, muskox, and many types of birds and fish. The lump sucker is a large, purple animal that looks like a giant tadpole. What does a lump sucker eat? It eats worms, crustaceans and mollusks. Some of the plants in the Arctic include Arctic poppy, Mountain sorrel, Sour grass, Snow buttercup, Nodding bladder campion, Arctic draba, Arctic parrya, Tufted saxifrage, Spider saxifrage, Purple saxifrage, Nodding saxifrage, and Arctic willow.
Sources:
http://www.arcticwatch.ca/whale-watching/plant-life
http://www.express.co.uk/fun/top10facts/379386/top-10-facts-about-the-Arctic
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/photos/13-animals-of-the-arctic/canadian-lynxs
http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/arcticle-arctic-animals/#
http://www.ask.com/question/what-is-the-average-temperature-in-the-arctic
By Alyx & Rylee of Beaverlodge School