Only a few thousands people
live in the tundra regions. The Inuit
live in northern Canada, Greenland and Alaska. The Lapps (or Sami) herd reindeer in northern Scandinavia in an area
nicknamed Lapland.
Traditionally, the Inuit
were hunters and fishermen: in winter they fished for seals below the ice and in summer they hunted for caribou on the land. They travelled by sledge and built temporary ice shelters called igloos.
To help them survive in the cold, stormy weather, they had to wear thick, warm clothes like coats and salopettes (trousers) which are waterproof and have fur inside to insulate them.
Their boots had special tennis racket-like soles so their body weight was spread out and they didn't sink in the soft snow.
Despite it being freezing, the sun is always shining so the Inuits had to wear tinted goggles and a mask to stop them going snow blind.
Today, many Inuit dress in modern clothes. Some have motor-powered snowmobiles and
live in homes made of modern materials. Some homes
have: electricity, double-glazed windows and telephones. Heated houses have to be built on stilts so that the permafrost does
not thaw. If it did, the ground would give way. Water pipes are insulated
and run above ground to stop them freezing.
Modern foods and other
goods are flown into the towns to be sold in supermarkets so living costs are now high. Imported food has created health
problems for the Inuit as it is rich in carbohydrates and sugar not found in
their traditional diet
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