Arctic Circle level, although in mountainous regions there is often no direct view of the true horizon. Only four million people live north of the Arctic Circle due to the severe climate; nonetheless, some areas have been settled for thousands of years by indigenous peoples, who today make up 10% of the region's population. Tens of thousands of years ago, waves of people migrated from eastern Siberia across the Bering Strait into North America to settle. The largest communities north of the Arctic Circle are situated in Russia, Norway and Sweden: Murmansk (population 307,257), Norilsk (175,365), Tromsø (71,295), Vorkuta (59,231) and Kiruna
Arctic Norway Arctic circle is ca. . The population is about 393,000, which makes this the most populated arctic region in the world. Svalbard archipelago is situated some north of mainland Norway and has an area of . The population is about 2,400, and includes Longyearbyen, the northernmost town in the world. Bear Island () is situated some north of mainland Norway, about two-thirds the distance to Svalbard. It has an area of . The population is 9, which is the staff of the weather station. Jan Mayen is situated some 880 km northwest of mainland Norway and about 450 km off