The
northern polar region of the Earth
is called the Arctic and the southern polar region is known as the Antarctic. The Arctic has a sea in the middle (Arctic Ocean), but the Antarctic has a continent (Antarctica).
What is technically the Arctic?
The Arctic (/ˈɑːrtɪk/ or /ˈɑːrktɪk/) is
a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth
. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Alaska (United States), Canada, Finland, Greenland (Denmark), Iceland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden.
What is considered the Arctic?
The Arctic is
the northernmost region of Earth
. Most scientists define the Arctic as the area within the Arctic Circle, a line of latitude about 66.5° north of the Equator. Within this circle are the Arctic ocean basin and the northern parts of Scandinavia, Russia, Canada, Greenland, and the U.S. state of Alaska.
What is the Arctic line called?
Arctic Circle
, parallel, or line of latitude around the Earth, at approximately 66°30′ N.
Is the Arctic the North Pole?
Both
the Arctic
(North Pole) and the Antarctic (South Pole) are cold because they don’t get any direct sunlight. … The Arctic is ocean surrounded by land. The Antarctic is land surrounded by ocean. The ocean under the Arctic ice is cold, but still warmer than the ice!
Do humans live in the Arctic?
In total,
only about 4 million people live in the Arctic worldwide
, and in most countries indigenous people make up a minority of the Arctic population. … Northern people found many different ways to adapt to the harsh Arctic climate, developing warm dwellings and clothing to protect them from frigid weather.
Which country owns the Arctic?
All land, internal waters, territorial seas and EEZs in the Arctic are under the jurisdiction of one of the eight Arctic coastal states:
Canada, Denmark
(via Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States (via Alaska). International law regulates this area as with other portions of Earth.
Do polar bears live in Antarctica?
Polar bears live in the Arctic, but
not Antarctica
. Down south in Antarctica you’ll find penguins, seals, whales and all kinds of seabirds, but never polar bears. Even though the north and south polar regions both have lots of snow and ice, polar bears stick to the north. … Polar bears don’t live in Antarctica.
What does Arctic mean in Greek?
Arctic, northernmost region of the Earth, centred on the North Pole and characterized by distinctively polar conditions of climate, plant and animal life, and other physical features. The term is derived from the
Greek arktos (“bear”)
, referring to the northern constellation of the Bear.
How important is the Arctic?
Why the Arctic is so important
The Arctic is crucial for lots of reasons. Not just because it’s home to the iconic polar bear, and four million people, but also because it
helps keep our world’s climate in balance
. … The Arctic also helps circulate the world’s ocean currents, moving cold and warm water around the globe.
Why do they call it the Arctic Circle?
“Arctic” comes from the work “arktikos”, the Greek word for bear. The reason is that
Ursa Major, the Great Bear constellation is viewed in the northern sky
. The Arctic Circle marks the region above which, for at least 1 day a year, there is all day sunshine in the summer and 24-hours of darkness in the winter.
What country is the North Pole in?
Currently, no country owns the North Pole
. It sits in international waters. The closest land is Canadian territory Nunavut, followed by Greenland (part of the Kingdom of Denmark). However, Russia, Denmark and Canada have staked claims to the mountainous Lomonosov Ridge that runs under the pole.
Is the Arctic land or ice?
The Arctic is an ocean, covered by a thin
layer of perennial sea ice and surrounded by land
. (“Perennial” refers to the oldest and thickest sea ice.) Antarctica, on the other hand, is a continent, covered by a very thick ice cap and surrounded by a rim of sea ice and the Southern Ocean.
Why do airplanes not fly over Antarctica?
Why don’t planes fly over Antarctica? The
White Continent does not have much in the way of infrastructure
and herein lies why planes do not fly over it. Something called ETOPS (Extended Operations) governs how far from an emergency diversion airport certain aircraft are allowed to fly, according to its model.
Which is the coldest Arctic or Antarctic?
In fact,
Antarctica is much colder than the Arctic
, and there are several good reasons. The main reason that Antarctica is colder than the Arctic is that Antarctica is a landmass surrounded by ocean, and the Arctic is an ocean surrounded by landmasses.
Why can’t we go to the North Pole?
Since the North Pole sits on drifting ice,
it’s difficult and expensive
for scientists and explorers to study. There isn’t land or a place for permanent facilities, making it difficult to set up equipment.
