We explain what the North Pole is, its characteristics and types. Also, its climate, flora and fauna, what the Northern Lights are and more.
The North Pole is one of the geographical points in the Arctic of the northern hemisphere.
What is the North Pole?
The North Pole is the northernmost geographical point on Earth, that is, the northernmost place on the planet. There all the meridians converge and all directions point towards the south. It is located on the Arctic Ocean, at 90° north latitude.
Unlike the South Pole, which is located on the Antarctic continent, the North Pole is not located on any continental surface, but rather It is made up of huge blocks of ice that float on the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Between the two poles, an imaginary line can be drawn, which is the axis of rotation of the planet.
The region surrounding the North Pole is characterized by a glacial polar climate. with temperatures below zero every month of the year and very little rainfall, which generally does not exceed 200 millimetres per year.
The first people to reach the North Pole were Italian engineer Umberto Nobile, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, and American explorer Lincoln Ellsworth. Together with thirteen other people, they left Rome aboard an airship and, on May 12, 1926, after several days of travel, they managed to fly over the North Pole.
The word arctic derives from the Greek term arktos, which means “bear”. This name refers to the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, located in the sky above the North Pole and the Arctic region.
See also: South Pole
Features of the North Pole
Among the main characteristics of the North Pole, the following stand out:
- It is made up of enormous ice caps over the Arctic Ocean, meaning it does not have a continental landmass.
- It is an area that borders Russia, Norway, Denmark, Canada and the state of Alaska in the United States.
- It has a glacial polar climate, with very low temperatures throughout the year.
- It has very little flora and fauna, and both animals and plants must develop adaptations to survive the environment.
- It is a region where you can observe the northern lights.
- There is the polar night (a period in which the sun does not rise at any time of the day) and the polar day (a period in which sunlight is present at all times).
- Among the peoples who live in the nearby continental areas are the Inuit, the Sami, the Chukchi, the Nenets and the Aleuts.
Geographic North Pole and Magnetic North Pole
The geographic North Pole coincides with the point on the Earth’s axis of rotation in the northern hemisphere.
When talking about the North Pole, we may be referring to two different references:
- The geographic North Pole. It is the geographical point on the Earth’s surface that coincides with the northern vertex of the imaginary axis of rotation of the planet. At the opposite end is the South Pole.
- The magnetic North Pole. It is the northerly position indicated by the compass and which shifts by about 40 or 50 kilometres each year. This is because part of the Earth’s core is not solid and this influences the magnetic field it generates.
North Pole Climate
The climate of the North Pole is glacial polar. In this region, winter temperatures range between -46 ºC and -26 ºC, while in summer they approach 0 ºC, but almost never exceed it.
The rainfall is very scarce.rarely exceeding 200 millimetres per year, and always occur in the form of snow. Another characteristic of the glacial polar climate is the strong winds, which contribute to significantly reducing thermal sensation.
It is called polar day to the phenomenon that is characterized by the presence of sunlight during 24 hours a day. This happens because, being at the edge of the planet, the North Pole always faces the sun during the summer, despite the Earth’s rotation. At the South Pole, at the same time, the polar night, in which sunlight does not appear at any time of the day. This phenomenon is reversed at both poles as the seasons change.
See also: Polar climate
Population of the North Pole
The Inuit are native people living in North America.
Since it is not located on a continental surface, the North Pole is uninhabited. However, in the nearby continental areas, small indigenous communities were established, among which the following stand out:
- The Inuit. The Inuit are a group of indigenous people who live mainly in Canada, Greenland, Alaska (United States) and parts of Siberia (Russia). They are known for their ability to adapt to the harsh conditions of the Arctic and have developed a culture based on hunting, fishing and gathering. Traditionally, they live in houses made of blocks of ice and snow called igloosIt is estimated that this population is made up of around 170,000 people.
- The Sami. The Sami are an indigenous people who occupy parts of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula (Russia). They are known for their traditional way of life, based on reindeer herding, fishing and hunting. It is estimated that around 82,000 people make up this town.
- The Chukchi. The Chukchis are an ethnic group that lives in the Chukotka region, in the extreme northeast of Siberia (Russia). They have inhabited these lands for thousands of years and have traditionally dedicated themselves to hunting, fishing and reindeer herding. It is estimated that around 10,000 people make up this town.
- The Nenets. The Nenets are a group of reindeer herders who live on the Yamal Peninsula in northwestern Siberia (Russia). Their way of life revolves around reindeer husbandry, which provides food, clothing and shelter. Their culture is characterized by their close relationship with nature and their ability to move across vast expanses of tundra. It is estimated that around 40,000 people make up this town.
- The AleutsThe Aleuts are an indigenous group who have historically lived in the Aleutian Islands and the Pribilof Islands, which extend from southwestern Alaska into the eastern Bering Sea. The Aleuts have traditionally hunted marine mammals and fished, and their culture is closely tied to the marine environment. The Aleuts number an estimated 18,000 people.
The Arctic Council is a forum for intergovernmental cooperation that brings together States and indigenous peoples of the Arctic area. It is proposed to carry out policies for the conservation of the natural environment, care for the environment and protection of ecosystems. The participating States are the United States, Canada, Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia.
Flora of the North Pole
The vegetation of the North Pole is characteristic of the tundra biome.
The flora of the Arctic polar region is little variedand extends in the coastal areas of the continental masses that surround the ice blocks. The plants of these regions are adapted to extreme climatic conditionsThey usually grow near rocks to protect themselves from the winds, develop underground structures to store nutrients and can carry out photosynthesis with very little sunlight.
Some examples of flora that can be found at the North Pole are lichens that grow on rocks and algae that cling to ice formations.
You may find useful: Biomes
Fauna of the North Pole
The polar bear lives in the North Pole, but not in the South Pole.
The fauna of the North Pole is made up of animals capable of withstanding low temperatures and harsh weather conditions. Their main adaptations are thermal insulation (with dense fur and thick layers of fat that allow them to stay warm), hibernation (the ability to enter a prolonged sleep to minimize energy expenditure) and migration (to escape the most intense cold and obtain food).
Among the main examples of Arctic animals are the polar bear (which lives only in the North Pole), the walrus, the seal, the Greenland whale, the ox, the beluga whale, the Arctic fox and various birds, such as the Arctic tern or the white goose.
The Northern Lights
The northern lights are one of the atmospheric phenomena that occurs at the North Pole.
The aurora is an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs in the polar regions due to the interaction between the energy of the Earth’s magnetic field, the intensity of solar winds and atmospheric gases. At the North Pole, it is called the aurora borealis, while at the South Pole it is called the aurora australis.
The Northern Lights occur in the outer layer of the atmosphere, in which there are energetic particles that are attracted by the Earth’s magnetic field and that, together with atmospheric gases, produce colored light that oscillates between shades of green, blue, yellow, purple and red. It usually takes place in late autumn, winter and early spring in the northern hemisphere.
Tourists from all over the world come to the regions near the North Pole to observe the northern lights. It is an important attraction in northern Canada, Iceland and northern Europe, in countries such as Norway, Finland and Sweden.
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