Arctic

Cities

The Arctic is sparsely populated. Many settlements are or have historically been associated with fishing, whaling (now sometimes replaced by whale-watching), mining and the military tourism|military or science tourism|research. Some major centers of population are:

Bodø, Norway Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada Kiruna, Sweden - a mining town Murmansk, Russia - one of the most important military harbors of Russia Nuuk — capital of Greenland Rovaniemi — the capital of Finnish Lapland Tromsø, Norway - historically a starting point for many Arctic expeditions and one of the biggest city's so far north Fairbanks – Alaska's second-largest city, junction of several major highways Utqiaġvik — the northernmost town in the USA

More Destinations

Dalton Highway — Alaska's highway to Arctic Ocean
Lofoten — one of the most beautiful areas in Norway
Northeast Greenland National Park — the largest national park in the world
North Pole — There's not much here, as – unlike the South Pole – it sits on ever shifting sea ice
Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park — one of Finland's best national parks
Quttinirpaaq National Park — Canada's northernmost national park
Severnaya Zemlya — the last archipelago on earth to be discovered
Svalbard — you're in luck as you won't need a visa getting there (though you might need one to get to Norway where almost all flights here depart from
Wrangel Island — the last wooly mammoths lived on this desolate island some four thousand years ago

About Arctic

The Arctic is antipodal to Antarctica. And to get this out of the way: Polar bears: Arctic. Penguins: Antarctica and other places in the Southern Hemisphere. Both: Nowhere but zoos.

Within the Arctic Circle and the sun stays above the horizon during parts of summer (Midnight Sun) and beneath the horizon during parts of winter (Arctic/Polar Night).

Anywhere north of the Arctic Circle is suitable to see the Midnight Sunday in Midsummer (all summer if close enough to the poles) – unless a hill is covering the view – and most of the accessible Arctic is good for seeing the Northern Lights during winter.

The sun is low also when seen, 47° above the horizon at noon in Midsummer at the Arctic Circle, 23.5° at the North Pole. There are few truly warm days and temperatures below freezing (32°F or 0°C) are feasible even in the summer. Winters are extreme in many areas.

The climate differs significantly by latitude – but also by longitude. Due to the Gulf Stream (from the Sargasso Sea), Scandinavia has a much warmer climate than Alaska, Northern Canada or Siberia at the same latitudes.

In contrast to Antarctica which is terra nullius, virtually all dry land in the Arctic is national territory.

Local Language in Arctic

English is the dominant language at international expeditions. Besides national languages (English, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Russian) there are several indigenous languages such as Greenlandic, Inuktitut and the Sami languages. People in the Nordic countries are famously excellent at foreign languages and many Canadians speak a bit of the other national language of their country, even though full bilingualism is common. Russians rarely speak anything but Russian. Speakers of indigenous languages increasingly speak the metropole language and often another one, too.

Travel to Arctic

Regular Flights to most towns – and regional flights also to many minor settlements. Some towns, such as Murmansk, have connections by rail and some regions have nice road connections. Many railways were built with mining goods, not people in mind, so you may be in for a slow and bumpy if picturesque ride. There are even four EuroVelo cycling routes to the Barents Sea (to Nordkapp and Kirkenes).

The only Border crossing|guarded borders in the Arctic are Russia's border to Finland, Norway and USA and the Alaska-Canada border. You should still check formalities.

Transportation in Arctic

Scheduled transportation through the Arctic is limited and travellers need to rely on chartered or private vehicles in most areas. Many places – even what qualifies for city's so far North – are only accessible by boat or plane and even that may be feasible only seasonally. Prices tend to reflect that, even where direct or indirect subsidies keep a service alive that would otherwise not be commercially viable.

Arctic Europe is generally significantly easier to get around in than Arctic Asia or North America.

What to See

Mountains in southern Greenland - Southern Greenland in the middle of the summer|350x350px

Northern Lights|Northern lights
Whale watching — in regions of the seas that are not frozen
Midnight sun — in the northern parts of the Arctic and the sun does not set for most of the summer (of course the downside is that it doesn't rise in the winter)
Ice and snow — in many parts of the Arctic, ice and snow is present year-round.
Eurasian wildlife or North American wildlife

Muslim Travel Tips

Cross-country skiing
Wilderness backpacking

Halal Restaurants & Food in Arctic

Traditional cuisines rely heavily on fish and Meat (including seal and whale in many places), Vegetarian beware. Most other food has to be imported from the south, so prices tend to be high. There are still e.g. berries growing locally, some of which may be new acquaintances.

Stay safe in Arctic

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See also: Cold weather, Winter driving

The cold, polar bears, snow blindness and desolation are the main dangers. You can get Sunburn and sun protection|sunburn too.

Where to travel next from Arctic

The only way out of the Arctic is south or to space.

From Halal Explorer