How big is the Arctic Ocean? And eight other Arctic facts

The Arctic is one of the most stark and beautiful places on Earth. Vast expanses of pack ice cover deep ocean composing the planet's largest and least fragmented inhabited region.

Home to an array of species—from polar bears to whales—the Arctic faces threats from oil and gas development, shipping, commercial fishing, and a changing climate. WWF is working with governments, businesses, and communities to help preserve the region’s rich biodiversity.

Take a look at some common questions and answers about this important area that WWF works to protect:

1. How many countries does the Arctic cover?
The Arctic region covers parts of eight countries: Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and the United States. With on-the-ground teams in Arctic countries, WWF is uniquely positioned to work across the Arctic to progress regional conservation policy and governance through international organizations such as the Arctic Council, Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement, and International Maritime Organization.

2. Is all of the Arctic covered in snow?
While the Arctic is generally covered in snow in winter, in warmer seasons the Arctic reveals an incredible range of environments that are much more than just snow. Alaska alone covers an enormous area (Alaska is the largest state in the USA) and the state’s diverse and often dramatic land- and seascapes include more than 14 mountain ranges, volcanoes and volcanic islands, over 12,000 rivers and deltas, boreal forests, coastal wetlands and bogs, upland tundra, glaciers, sea ice, and the sea itself.

3. How big is the Arctic Ocean?
The Arctic Ocean is the world’s smallest ocean, but is about 1.5 times as big as the US, covering 5.4 million square miles.

4. What kind of threats does the Arctic face?
The Arctic faces threats from oil and gas development, commercial fisheries management, mining, and shipping traffic. But climate change is the single greatest threat to the Arctic. Warming in the Arctic is up to four times faster than the rest of the world. Current models suggest that the Arctic will be seasonally ice-free within this century. For four decades, WWF has been part of the movement to fight this global crisis. Our vision is of healthy Arctic ecosystems that support the cultural, social, and economic needs of the people living there, and that protect the diversity of Arctic life.

5. Why does the Arctic matter?
The Arctic is home to several million people that speak over 40 languages. Many Arctic residents are Indigenous People who have thrived in one of the harshest environments in the world for thousands of years. The region also plays a vital role in regulating the earth's climate and currents and is a rich habitat for wildlife.

6. What species live in the Arctic?
The diversity of the landscape of the Arctic means a wide array of wildlife. Species like the beluga, bowhead whale, pacific salmon, brown bear, walrus, arctic wolf, arctic fox, narwhal, and caribou, live here. 200 bird species breed in the Arctic, with some like the ivory gull found only in the iciest regions. Freshwater fish, multitudes of mosquitoes (and other insects) and small mammals such as lemmings, voles, weasels and ground squirrels live in the Arctic year-round and have unique adaptations for overwintering. In the Arctic Ocean small fish and zooplankton provide food for migrating whales and seabirds and in its depths are jellyfish that have only recently been described by scientists. Polar bears remain the most iconic Arctic species and live only in the Arctic.

7. What threats do polar bears face?
Climate change is an enormous threat to polar bears. Polar bears rely on sea ice to access the seals that are their primary source of food as well as to rest and breed. With less sea ice every year, polar bears and many other ice-dependent creatures are at risk. Polar bears are technically marine mammals because they spend most of their lives on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean. As shrinking sea ice forces polar bears to spend more time on land, people and bears can come into conflict. WWF works directly with Indigenous Peoples in several communities in Alaska to develop community polar bear patrols to reduce the potential for conflict between polar bears and people.

8. Where did the name 'Arctic' come from?
‘Arctic’ comes from the Greek word for bear: Arktos. The name doesn’t come from the iconic polar bear, but from constellations in the northern sky of the Arctic, ‘Ursa Major’ (Great Bear) and ‘Ursa Minor’ (Little Bear).

9. Why are glaciers important?
Glacier ice is the largest reservoir of fresh water on the planet, storing an estimated 75 percent of the world’s supply. Alaska alone is estimated to have more than 100,000 glaciers. A glacier can range in length from the equivalent of a football field to more than 100 miles.

When Earth has gone through much warmer climate periods, the melt down of glaciers across the Arctic is thought to have shut down ocean currents around Europe. WWF is dedicated to help conserve our glaciers and the entire Arctic region by supporting climate smart, sustainable development, and enhancing ecosystem resilience to climate change.

Learn more about the Arctic.