Tundra Region – Llocation, Physical Environment and Human Response of Tundra Region

(a) Location:

The tundra region stretches beyond the Arctic and Antarctic Circle (66.5°). To the south of it is the Taiga belt in the Northern hemi­sphere.

(b) Area

(i) Northern Siberia, Northern Norway, Sweden. Finland in Eurasia,

(ii) Greenland (ice-cap).

(iii) Northern Canada and Alaska.

(iv) Antarctica in the southern hemisphere.

(c) Natural Environment

Climate (i) Long severe winters lasting for eight to ten months in a year (- 30° C).

(ii) Summers are short and warm. Summer temperature may be 10° to 15°

(iii) Precipitation is scanty and is less than 25 cm.

(iv) Annual range of temperature is high.

(v) Short growing seasons – for two to three months. Natural vegeta­tion consists of tundra bush and tundra grass (mosses and lichen) sedges, flowering plants and stunted trees of willow and pines on the border of the taiga belt.

(vi) Land is frozen for a greater part of the year. The sub-soil is perma­nently frozen.

(vii) There are swamps and marshes because of which there are mosqui­toes and insects.

(viii) Animals found in the region are reindeer, caribou, huskies, polar bear, wolf, seal, walrus, etc.

(d) Human response (Mode of life of the people)

(i) Eskimos, Lapps, Finns, Samoyeds, Yakuts lead a nomadic life. In winter they migrate to the south.

(ii) They live in Igloos – their winter house, made of ice. In summer they live in tents called topics.

(iii) Fur trade is carried on.

(iv) Fishing and hunting of seal and walrus is a common practice.

(v) Mining where minerals are found, e.g., Alaska-oil, Labrador-iron- ore, etc.