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The
Arctic is characterized by a harsh climate with extreme variation
in light and temperature, short summers, extensive snow and ice
cover in winter and large areas of permafrost.
Its terrain varies from high mountains to flat plain, wide tundra and great expanses
of sea, snow and ice. The plants and animals of the Arctic have adapted to these
conditions, but this has rendered them in some cases more sensitive to increased
human activities.
The lives of indigenous and other Arctic peoples are closely linked to local
resources, particularly by their dependence on wildlife harvesting. However,
a combination of several factors makes the Arctic and its inhabitants among the
most exposed populations in the world.
The biggest concerns today are the effects from long-range air and
sea transport of contaminants and certain human activities such as interference
with ancient animal migration routs, oil and chemical spills into the sea,
and the unforeseen impacts from the climate change causing the melting of
the ice cover.
Many of these impacts will take a very long time to reverse: the
low temperatures mean slow chemical breakdown of contaminants, whereas populations
of large mammals can be slow to recover.
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