Arctic Ocean Facts

The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the five oceanic divisions in the world, to be found in the Northern Hemisphere and mainly in the Arctic North Polar Region. Throughout the year, the ocean is largely covered with a sheet of sea ice due to very low temperatures. The Arctic Ocean is nearly completely surrounded by Eurasia and North America. Like Antarctica, the Arctic Ocean lacks the fabled history and beauty. It's actually a place for the most brutal and exposing adventure on earth. The Arctic Ocean is less than 1.5 times the size of the United States of America and has a total area of 14.056 million sq. km. Every summer, the ice caps are surrounded by open seas, but double in size during winter and blanket the entire ocean. This of course, makes it difficult for oceanic travel, although the Arctic Ocean is a prime route to the Northwest Passage. To know some more of these interesting, fun facts about the Arctic Ocean, read on.