Russian scientists have long been interested in the tundra. M. B. Lomonosov, in 1763, referred to “the places overgrown with mosses, which cover most parts of the Northern Ocean shores, excluding bogs and forests” as tundras. This early definition emphasized, therefore, the proximity of the tundra zone to the Arctic Ocean coast, the predominance of mosses in its vegetational cover (Lomonosov probably included lichens as “mosses”), and the absence of trees. The treelessness of the tundra, its outstanding characteristic, is a fundamental feature in its geography.

While studying the distribution, within Antarctic regions, of the vascular plants now known from South Georgia, numerous discrepancies were found between the accounts of various authors. The present paper is an attempt to clarify the situation, and has been compiled from the most recent known papers dealing with the flora of each area. Only taxa reported as native have been included in the “Check List” but species reported as aliens have been listed in the section headed “Notes on floras”.

When research under the IGY programme began in Antarctica, the Soviet Union undertook the task of studying vast areas of the sector south of the Indian Ocean.

In 1956, the First Combined Antarctic Expedition headed by M. M. Somov set up the main base, Mirny observatory, on the Davis Sea coast. This was followed by five subsequent expeditions inland during which new stations have been established hi the heart of Antarctica.

The Northern Co-ordination and Research Centre was established in 1954, at the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Northern Development, and reports to government through the Secretary of this committee. It has three main functions—co-ordination, information and research.

In response to pressure from the Colonial Office and whaling interests for improvement of the Admiralty charts of South Georgia, the Hydrographer of the Navy despatched a surveying ship to operate there during the 1960–61 summer season. Priority was given to a thorough survey of the waters surrounding the western extremities of the island in order to facilitate the shortest passage between the whaling grounds in the west and the whaling stations on the north-east coast. Other commitments were the landing of scientists in co-operation with the Administration and, as opportunity offered, general improvement of the existing charts with particular reference to the coastal shipping routes.

Polish expeditions to Vestspitsbergen between 1956 and 1960 were organized in connexion with the Third IGY and its continuation. The main area chosen for scientific investigations was Hornsund, Vestspitsbergen, in which, at Isbjørnhamna, the main station was built (lat. 77° N., long. 15° 30′ E.). The areas covered by investigations were mainly southern and central parts of Wedel Jarlsberg Land and Torell Land, to the north of Hornsund, and the northern part of Sørkapp Land, to the south of Hornsund. Brief investigations were also carried out to the south of Van Keulenfjorden, in north-west Torell Land, and along the western, southern and eastern coasts of Sørkapp Land.

Oil has been known in one locality of the Soviet Arctic since the second half of the seventeenth century (Probst, 1957). This is the deposit in the Ukhta region of Komi ASSR, known now as the Timano-Pechorskaya petroliferous province. Occasional attempts were made to obtain it, but intensive exploration started only in 1929, and significant exploitation in 1935. The oil is Devonian, aiid some of it is highly viscous. This led to development of a special mining technique for obtaining the oil, the extra cost being justified on the grounds that heavy oil of this type is particularly suitable for certain uses in the north. The refinery is at Ukhta itself, on the Pechora railway (Shishkin, 1959). Output figures have not been released, but are believed to have reached 1200 000 metric tons a year during World War II, but to have dropped in 1950 to 800 000 and in 1955 to 553 000 (Hassmann, 1953; Hodgkins, 1961). In the post-war period natural gas production was encouraged and it reached in 1960 about 1100 million m. per year (Rochev, 1961).