the arctic is the area around the earth's north pole. the arctic includes parts of russia, alaska, canada, greenland, lapland and svalbard as well as the arctic ocean. it is an ocean, mostly covered with ice. most scientists call the area north of the treeline arctic. trees will not grow when the temperatures get too cold. the forests of the continents stop when they get too far north or too high up a mountain. (higher places are colder, too.) the place where in the trees stop is called the tree line.