Covering 1.5 million square kilometres, or about one seventh of Canada, the Northern Arctic Ecozone extends over most of the nonmountainous areas of the arctic islands and parts of northeastern Keewatin, western Baffin Island, and northern Quebec. It is among the largest arctic ecosystems in the world. Winters pass in near darkness with the polar night measured in weeks and months rather than hours. Snow may fall any month of the year and usually remains on the ground from September to June. Extremely low temperatures and an average precipitation of about 200 mm per year characterize the climate. When not covered in snow, much of the landscape is typified by barren plains covered in frost-patterned soils and the occasional rock outcrop

The land is dominated by a mixed grassland, small shrub, and herbaceous plant ecosystem called the tundra. The most characteristic feature of the tundra is permafrost, a layer of permanently frozen subsoil. In the summer the ground thaws to a depth of a few centimeters and becomes wet and soggy. This freezing and thawing cycle crushes the roots of plants keeping them small and stunted. Alpine ecosystems are mountain top versions of the tundra.