The polar regions are the areas of Earth around the North Pole (the Arctic) and the South Pole (the Antarctic), lying within and around the Arctic and Antarctic Circles where the climate is extremely cold and ice-covered for much of the year.

What area is the polar region?

  • In the Northern Hemisphere , the polar region (the Arctic) covers the Arctic Ocean and the surrounding northern parts of continents such as North America, Europe, and Asia, roughly from the Arctic Circle toward the North Pole.
  • In the Southern Hemisphere , the polar region (the Antarctic) includes the continent of Antarctica and the surrounding Southern Ocean, extending from about the Antarctic Circle toward the South Pole.

Key features of polar regions

  • Very cold climate with long, dark winters and long, bright summers, often with 24-hour night in winter and 24-hour daylight in summer.
  • Extensive sea ice in the Arctic and a thick ice sheet covering most of Antarctica in the south.

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