Arctic Regions
the regions s round the North Pole, and extending from the Pole on all sides to the Arctic Circle in lat. 66° 32' N. The Arctic, or North lat. 66° 32′ N. The Arctic, or North Polar Circle, just touches the northern headlands of Iceland, cuts off the southern and narrowest portion of Greenland, crosses Fox Strait N. of Hudson's Bay, whence it goes over the American continent to Bering Strait. Thence it runs to Obdorsk at the mouth of the Obi, then crossing northern Russia, the White Sea, and the Scandinavian Peninsula, returns to Iceland. Valuable minerals, fossils, etc., have been discovered within the Arctic regions. In the archipelago N. of etc., have been discovered within the the American continent, excellent coal is mined in Greenland. Fossil ivory is obtained in islands at the mouth of beria, and northwest America, the forest region extends within the Arctic circle.
The most characteristic of the natives of the Arctic regions are the Eskimos. The most notable animals are the white bear, the musk ox, the reindeer, and the whalebone whale. Fur-bearing animals are numerous. bone whale. Fur-bearing animals are of the first magnitude, called also Alpha Boötes. It is one of the very brightest stars in the northern heavens. Though nominally fixed, yet it has a proper an- Boötes. It is one of the very brightest stars in the northern heavens. Though In 752 years it altered miles in a second.
In' its latitude 5', and in 20 centuries, according to Humboldt, it has moved 21/2 times the diameter of the moon's disk. In 1803, Herschel found its diameter, seen through a fog, 2-10 of a second, from which he calculated its diameter to be not less than 8,000,000 leagues. through a fog, 2-10 of a second, from about 300 houses, in the portion of Turkish Armenia, ceded in 1878 to Russia, 35 miles N. W. of Kars. Its position gives it strategic importance. Its fortress was about 300 houses, in the portion of Turk- ish Armenia, ceded in 1878 to Russia, 1854-1856; in 1878 the Berlin Congress sanctioned the cession to Russia of Ardahan, which had been captured early in the war. 1854-1856; in 1878 the Berlin Congress sanctioned the cession to Russia of Arda- han, which had been captured early in Tabriz, and some 5,000 feet above the sea.
Pop. about 10,000.
ARDÈCHE (ar-dāsh'), a department in the south of France, takes its name from a tributary of the Rhone, and includes part of ancient Languedoc. It is par almost wholly mountainous. In the N.
W. of the department, the Cevennes culfrom a tributary of the Rhone, and in- in the south of France, takes its name 5,752 feet in height. Numerous extinct volcanic peaks, deep craters, grottos, rock to the scenery. The upland, where winter reigns for six or eight months, is devoted to pasturage; but the valley of the Rhone marble, and gypsum are wrought. There cultivated. Iron, coal, antimony, lead, almonds. Only a fourth of the area is marble, and gypsum are wrought. There are manufactures of silk, paper, leather, cloth, and straw. Area, 2,136 square miles; pop. about 350,000. The capital is Privas. hill-country and forest, ocupying the S.
E. corner of Belgium, between the Mo- E. corner of Belgium, between the Moselle and the Meuse, but extending also sists of a broken mass of hills, for the most part of no great elevation, which gradually slope toward the plains of Flanders. The channel of the Meuse is in some places bound in by rugged and The wealth of the region is its wood and its minerals. Enormous supplies of coal precipitous cliff's more than 600 feet high. its minerals. Enormous supplies of coal are found in the north, a very important element in Belgium's industrial wealth; iron, lead, antimony, copper, and manganese are also found. Multitudes of cattle and sheep are reared. In the saw much severe fighting. See WORLD World War (1914-1918) the Ardennes WAR.