The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear species, as well as the largest extant land carnivore.
Historically, the polar bear has also been known as the "white bear". It is sometimes referred to as the "nanook", based on the Inuit term nanuq.