The northern part of Alaska is the region known as the Arctic. It is about 80,000 square miles of tundra, and has a lot of rivers and ponds.

The weather in the winter is often well below 0šF. But the Arctic Ocean helps to keep things moderate along the coastal areas. In the summer the temperature is usually cool and is usually around 30što 40šF. The ground is permanently frozen and during the summer the soil thaws only a few inches. It is often windy and the combination of wind and cold drops the chill factor far below the real temperature. It is a hard climate for any animal to live in, but the Arctic is full of animals.

This region is the home of the Inupiat Eskimos. These people live a subsistence life style by hunting and fishing. The largest Inupiat community in the region is Barrow. The government offices and other important services are also in Barrow. There are a lot of villages spread out all over the region.

Transportation in this region is mostly by airplane. In the winter time a lot of people travel by snowmachine and a few people mush dogs or cross country ski.

If you want to get from the Arctic to the Interior you can drive on the Dalton Highway. The road is 216 miles long. Part of this road is open to the public at certain times of the year. This road starts in Fairbanks.

There is also oil in the Arctic and it makes a lot of money for the state of Alaska.