Arctic describes the region around the North Pole, one of Earth's coldest and most remote places. The Arctic includes the Arctic Ocean, parts of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia, and Scandinavia. Temperatures there regularly drop far below freezing, and during winter, the sun disappears for months at a time, creating long periods of darkness.

The Arctic is famous for its frozen landscape: massive sheets of ice float on the ocean, and snow covers the ground year-round in many areas. Polar bears, Arctic foxes, caribou, and walruses have adapted to survive in this harsh environment. Indigenous peoples like the Inuit have lived in Arctic regions for thousands of years, developing remarkable skills and knowledge to thrive where few others could.

Scientists pay close attention to the Arctic because it's warming faster than most places on Earth, causing ice to melt and affecting weather patterns worldwide. When explorers like Robert Peary and Matthew Henson reached the North Pole in 1909, they endured Arctic conditions: brutal cold, dangerous ice, and punishing winds.

The word also describes anything extremely cold. If your classroom feels like an icebox, you might say it has arctic temperatures. The opposite of Arctic is Antarctic, which refers to the region around the South Pole.