The natural tourist potential of the islands in the western sector of the Russian Arctic

• Published in: Arctic and North
• Main Author: Natalia M. Byzova
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Russian
• Published: Northern Arctic Federal University 2016
• Subjects: tourism; Franz Josef Land; Novaya Zemlya; landscapes; flora; fauna; Social Sciences; H; Arctic; Branta bernicla; Branta leucopsis; Tundra
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.17238/issn2221-2698.2016.23.59; https://doaj.org/article/3fd89c2e3ef24d1faf4c9a13d412de5f

The islands of the archipelago of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya of the western sector of the Russian Arctic are very promising for the organization of the Arctic sea cruises. They have the unique natural landscapes and diverse flora and fauna. The Arctic holds half of the species of shore birds in the world. In summer, the Novaya Zemlya is full of Branta leucopsis and Branta bernicla and occasionally there are tundra swans, white-fronted goose, eider ducks and loons. The archipelago has spherulites — one of the mysterious formations in the Arctic, they are perfectly round stone balls from a few centimeters to several meters in diameter.