Arctic Alaska settlement in Arctic Alaska was driven first by discoveries of gold and later on by the extraction of petroleum. The ecosystem consists largely of tundra covering mountain ranges and coastal plains which are home to bears, wolves, sheep, oxen, reindeer, and numerous species of birds, the north coast has been defined as the Arctic coastal tundra ecoregion. Arctic Alaska is also the location of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, and the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The Arctic experiences midnight sun in the summer and polar night in the winter. Arctic Alaska Arctic Alaska
Chionophile are known chionophiles: Chionophile Chionophiles are any organisms (animals, plants, fungi, etc.) that can thrive in cold winter conditions (the word is derived from the Greek word "chion" meaning "snow", and "-phile" meaning "lover"). These animals have specialized adaptations that help them survive the harshest winters. Animals such as caribou, Arctic hares, Arctic ground squirrels, snowy owls, puffins, tundra swan, snow geese, Steller's eiders and willow ptarmigan all survive the harsh Arctic winters quite easily and some, like the willow ptarmigan, are only found in the Arctic region. Antarctica, also known as the southern pole, is larger and can become