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The Arctic Circle is comprised of 8 Arctic States: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. These Arctic States are home to indigenous peoples, wildlife species, natural resources, and competing interests. The mission of the Arctic Post is to present cold, hard, facts pertaining to the current events that impact the Arctic, its inhabitants, and its environment.
CANADA
Nearly 40% of Canada rests above the Arctic Circle. This vast region of wilderness and ice is home to the Northwest, Nunavut, and Yukon Territories and less than 1% of Canada’s population. Over half of the region’s 150,000 inhabitants are indigenous persons and members of the three nations recognized by the Canadian Constitution: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.
DENMARK
While the border of Denmark does not extend into the Arctic Circle, the Kingdom of Denmark has two autonomous territories bordered by Arctic waters. Danish citizenship extends to both the world’s largest island of Greenland as well as the Faroe Islands which sit just 4° south of the Arctic Circle. The government of the Faroe Islands self-describes itself as “A Nation in the Arctic” and governs nearly 50,000 citizens.
FINLAND
Finland (”Suomi” to Finns) is situated between Russia to the east and Scandinavia to the west. Belonging to the Nordic network of countries, Finland boasts of boreal forest biome and the world famous region of Lapland which extends into the Arctic. Finland holds the title of “most saunas per capita”, has one of the most powerful passports in the world, and is a powerhouse nation in international Nordic Ski competitions.
ICELAND
While the primary island of Iceland lies entirely south of the Arctic Circle, the small Icelandic island of Grímsey off the north coast reaches all the way to the 68th parallel. Iceland is known for its hospitable fjords, lakes, and glaciers, as well as the sand, mountains, and lava fields that make up its inhospitable interior. Its most populated towns dot the Icelandic coastline with the capitol city of Reykjavík being the largest.
NORWAY
Norway is home to beautiful fjords that extend from its southern tip all the way to the Arctic territory that lies north of all Scandinavian and Nordic states. The Islands of Svalbard within the Norwegian and Barents Seas are also a strategic geographical and geopolitical region of territory which allows access to natural resources in the Arctic Ocean.
RUSSIA
Russia’s Arctic coastline extends 15,000 miles and accounts for 53% of all Arctic Ocean coastline. Due to laws of the sea, Russia has claim to the largest portion of Arctic waters as well as the potential natural resources within them. Russia’s northernmost territory of Siberia extends from the Ural Mountains all the way to the Pacific Ocean and is home to nearly one-fourth of Russia’s population.
SWEDEN
Sweden is the largest Nordic country and sits between Norway and Finland. Known for its folklore with Viking and Norse mythology, Swedish history dates back to prehistoric times. To the east lies coastline along the Baltic Sea while the ‘Skanderna’ (Scandinavian mountain chain) rises in the west, separating Sweden from Norway. The capitol of Stockholm is built on 14 islands and is connected by more than 50 bridges.
United States
The United States lays claim to the Arctic by way of their largest and only non-contiguous state in North America: Alaska. Situated to the west of Canada, its 665,000 square miles were formerly connected to Russia by way of the Bering Land Bridge. Alaska is home to mountain ranges, forests, tundra, and wildlife that are now endangered by corporations seeking to extract natural resources.
