Homes
People often imagine arctic people living in igloos. Igloos are houses made from blocks of ice or snow but ice igloos are only temporary dwellings used by hunters and travelers in winter, people never spent the entire year in them..In very cold places homes have thick walls and roofs so that the cold air stays outside and the warm air stays inside. Some houses even have fireplaces to make it extra warm and cozy.
|
|
Transportation
Transportation has changed a great deal for the Inuit and other arctic people's. where they once got around on foot or dogsled today they are more likely to use snowmobiles, motorbikes, skis, or pick up trucks. Not everything has changed though. Artic people still use boats called umiak.
|
|
Jobs
People have long seen the poles as a source of great wealth. In th 18th and 19th centuries, millions of furs were exported from the Aric by ship to Britian and North America. More recently Alaska and Siberia have produced vast amounts of oil and natural gas. This has meant the construction of oil rigs, oil handling complexes, and some of the biggest pipelines on earth. The gleaming trans Alaska pipeline, for example, runs all the way from prudhoe bay on the north coast of Alaska to Valdez on the south coast. The oil industry has also brought new highways and towns that used to be wilderness.
Recreation
nature-based activities are by far the most popular focus of international travelers. Visitors can take self-guided tours, ship cruises, and eco-tours, which generally serve small groups seeking to learn about the environment, contribute to nature conservation, and/or interact with local cultures. The range of recreational activities is virtually limitless—from wildlife viewing and historical sightseeing to skiing, dog-sledding, mountaineering, and boating of all varieties
|
|
Geography
Where are the arctic regions located around the world?
The Sami
Sami country – known as Sápmi – stretches across the northern part of Scandinavia and Russia’s Kola Peninsula. The Sami have been recognised by the United Nations as an indigenous people, giving them the right to preserve and develop their crafts, language, education, reindeer husbandry, traditions and identity. There is no census for the Sami, but the population is estimated at around 80,000 people, spread over four countries with approximately 20,000 in Sweden, 50,000 in Norway, 8,000 in Finland and 2,000 in Russia.
Homes The Sami were originally nomads, living in tents during the summer and more sturdy peat huts during the colder seasons. Today, The Sami live in modern housing and only use tents as very temporary accommodations during reindeer migrations if they don’t already own cottages in the mountains and forests. Most Sami live in the north but there are Sami all over Sweden. Today, only ten per cent of Swedish Sami earn a living from the reindeer industry, and many combine their family businesses with tourism, fishing, crafts and other trades. Family Life Traditionally, the Sami lived in a group of families called a siida. Today, the nuclear family is the basic social unit among the Sami, and families are close-knit with a great deal of attention paid to the children. The Sami language contains an unusually large number of words that refer to family relationships. Traditionally, the males of the family were occupied with herding, hunting, and making boats, sleds, and tools, while the women cooked, made clothing and thread, and cured the meat. Each family had its own mark (and children had their own marks as well). Herding families use these marks to distinguish their reindeer from those of other families. Clothing Some, but not all, Sami still wear the group's brightly colored traditional clothing. It is most easily recognizable by the distinctive bands of bright red and yellow patterns against a deep blue background of wool or felt. These bands appear as decorations on men's tunics (gaktis), as borders on the women's skirts, and on the hats of both sexes. Men's hats vary by region; some are cone-shaped while others have four corners. Women and girls may drape fringed scarves around their shoulders. Warm reindeer-skin coats are worn by both sexes. The Sami wear moccasins of reindeer skin with turned-up toes, fastened with ribbons. However, they wear no socks. Instead, they stuff their moccasins with soft sedge grass to protect their feet against the cold and dampness. |
|
References |
|