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Resources

The resources found in the Arctic are uranium, gold, silver, copper, nickel, lead, zinc, coal, oil and gas. The most important of those resources are oil and gas. In 1968 oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay. Pipelines that carry oil and gas in the Arctic are thousands of kilometers long. The longest one is in Alaska. It is 1,200 kilometers long. In some places, they raise the pipeline so the caribou can pass underneath. When digging up for minerals, it is very destructive to life in the Arctic. Oil has been called black gold since it is just as precious as real gold. Recently, countries have been working together to help save the Arctic.

Reindeer

Reindeer are in the deer family. They are also called caribou. The scientific name for reindeer is Rangifer tarundus. Reindeer are native to Europe and Asia. Reindeer probably lived in the stone age. Only two kinds of reindeer are found in North America. The barren ground caribou are in Alaska and Northern Canada and the Woodland caribou are in Southeastern Canada. Once in a year, reindeer shed their antlers. Reindeer are in the tundra in the summer and they move south in winter. Asian people believe that concumption of reindeer antlers can restore their youth. In Finland, more than 4,000 reindeer are run over by cars. Reindeer are also killed by cars in other countries.

Ravens

Ravens are a kind of bird in the Arctic. Legend says that a raven got the sun from the Sky Chief by tricking him and everybody feeds him because that is the way they thank him. When the raven finds it's food, it hides the food for future use. The raven eats small mammals, birds, eggs, insects, and the meat of dead animals. People say that ravens are sneaky, sly, and clever. Ravens look sort of like crows and are black. Ravens have very few enemies because they are strong and fierce.