Life in the Arctic in 13 Pictures

A Canadian Inuit man on the sea ice in the winter. Hall Beach, Nunavut, Canada.

The Arctic includes parts of northern Canada, Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia and Alaska. The polar regions are some of the most sparsely populated on the planet and conditions range from cool summers to absolutely frigid polar temperatures throughout much of the rest of the year. With the exception of the Russian industrial city of Murmansk, most settlements north of the Arctic Circle do not exceed a few thousand hardy inhabitants. Resource extraction, sustenance hunting, reindeer husbandry, fishing and tourism form most of the employment in this extreme corner of Earth. 

The following photography was compiled by photographer Matt Reichel during his trips across several Arctic regions. Matt has served as an embedded filmmaker with the Canadian Armed Forces in Nunavut, the Yukon and Northwest Territories and has spent time chasing reindeer in Siberia and documenting ice melt in Greenland. These images detail life in several communities in the Arctic across multiple countries during a variety of seasons and conditions. 

An Inuit elder placed the final block on an igloo he made while on the land in the middle of winter. With outside temperatures at -55 degrees Celcius with windchill, igloos provide much needed warmth and help shield from powerful wind storms. A skilled igloo carver can make one in about an hour. Hall Beach, Nunavut, Canada.  

Tunu people take a dingy out on calm seas between Kulusuk Island and the settlement of Kuummiit, East Greenland.

An ethnic Even man sits on his bed in his one room cabin in the backcountry. Bystrinsky District, Kamchakta, Russia.

Canadian Inuit rangers set up a heating tent and prepare a lunch of fresh Arctic char, Hall Lake, Nunavut, Canada. 

Tunu girls play happily on a public trampoline in the settlement of Tiniteqilaaq with an ice fjord behind them, East Greenland. 

A Canadian military camp in the high arctic while on patrol, Hall Lake, Nunavut, Canada. 

Dogs play a crucial role in many Arctic communities. Here, an Even man bonds with his dog in the remote backcountry of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. 

Two Canadian Rangers take a break while on patrol in the High Arctic, with the sea ice looking like a desert of snow and ice. Hall Beach, Nunavut, Canada. 

Decorations and family photos above a dining table in a Greenlandic home. Tiniteqilaaq, East Greenland.

Beaver is a common material, along with seal, caribou, and even dog and polar bear for making winter clothing in the High Arctic. Hall Beach, Nunavut, Canada.

An Even reindeer herder takes a break in his winter yurt in the Kamchatka backcountry. Ichinsky District, Kamchatka, Russia.

A Greenlandic fishermen just finished tying his boat line to the shore in the settlement of Kuummiit, East Greenland.