The polar regions of our planet are located at the northern and southern-most tips of our planet. The Arctic is the northern polar region and the Antarctic is the southern polar region. The polar regions have extremely cold climates and interesting adaptations of flora and fauna ("flora" means plants, and "fauna" means animals.)

How are the north and south polar regions the same?

Both polar regions are covered by snow and ice throughout the entire year. In these regions, the sun is never high enough in the sky to cause much melting and the temperature rarely rises above freezing. During the long polar nights, which last six months at the poles, temperatures can fall to extremely low values. The lowest temperature ever recorded occurred in Antarctica, where a value of -88°C (celsius) was reported. (Water freezes at 0°C.)

Polar climates tend to be dry. Some polar regions receive less than 10 inches or 250 millimetres of precipitation (rain or snow) each year, and can be as dry as hot deserts. The continental ice sheets of Greenland in the north and Antarctica in the south have taken many millions of years to form. Both polar regions include plants and animals especially adapted to this climate.

How are the north and south polar regions different?

The Arctic:

* The north polar region, known as the Arctic, consists of the Arctic Ocean, much of which is frozen ice, and surrounding land. The Arctic Circle includes the Arctic Ocean and the northern tips of various land masses. The northernmost parts of the continents of North America (Canada and Alaska), Asia (Siberia), and Europe (Scandinavia), as well as the large island Greenland, all have their northernmost areas inside the Arctic Circle. See a map of the Arctic region.

* The Arctic is rich in a variety of animal life. Many arctic animals hibernate to survive the long, cold winters. Among animals that live in the Arctic region are polar bears, walrus, musk oxen, caribou (reindeer), lemmings, narwhals, the artic fox, hare, tern, and snowy owl.

* There are native Arctic peoples who survive by fishing, hunting seals and polar bears, and herding caribou, a type of reindeer.

Antarctica:

* The southern polar region includes an actual continent, Antarctica. Antarctica is surrounded by the South Pacific, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The nearest land masses are the southernmost tips of South America, Australia and New Zealand. See a map of Antarctica.

* Antarctica has the coldest climate on earth.

* There are fewer animals living in the southern polar regions. Some Antarctic natives include penguins, Weddell seals and skua birds. Penguins are natives of the southern polar regions, with some species, such as this Emperor penguin, being unique to Antarctica.

* Antarctica only has two seasons, 3 months of summer and a long, frozen winter.

* There are no peoples native to Antarctica, but many scientists are stationed there to conduct research on a variety of topics.