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People of the polar regions have adapted themselves to harsh conditions such as 24 hour darkness, severe winter storms and temperatures, and unpredictable food sources. Many indigenous groups have lived in the Arctic for centuries, and still call it home.
When paleolithic and neolithic peoples came across Bering Strait and migrated east and south, they adapted to the new environmental conditions. The arctic heritage of these peoples was retained even for those who didn't remain in the Arctic, but remained especially prevalent in the traditional cultures of northern groups. Many of these groups still use conical tents, skin clothing, rely on a big-game hunting economy, and practice a shamanistic religion, similar to those of Asiatic (Arctic) peoples with whom they share an ancestry.
Some contemporary occupants of the Arctic and the areas they inhabit are shown on the map below.
(Map from K. Crane and J.L. Galasso, 1999)
