The Arctic vs Antarctica [9 Similarities + Differences]

The two ice caps are more than 20,000 kilometers apart, but it's what's underneath the ice that really sets them apart. Hi, I'm Nate from PolarGuideBook.com, and today we're going to look at 9 similarities and differences between the Arctic and Antarctica. Let's get started. The Arctic is at the top of the world. It includes everything above the Arctic Circle, an imaginary line around the world at 66.5 degrees north. At the opposite end is the Antarctic Circle, which sits at 66.5 degrees south. Here you will find the continent known as Antarctica, home to the South Pole. So, how are these two regions similar? First of all, they are both deserts. You might not believe it, but Antarctica and parts of the Arctic are very dry, with less than 250 millimeters of rain or snow per year, this makes them deserts. But they don't look like your usual hot desert. That's because the small amount of snow doesn't thaw, so it builds up over many years to create huge ice sheets. According to the CIA Factbook, Antarctica and the Arctic are the two largest deserts on the Earth. Our next striking similarity is that both regions receive polar nights and midnight sun. Polar nights are when the sun does not rise for more than 24 hours, resulting in darkness during the day. This happens because the Earth spins on a tilt, so for parts of the year, the Arctic and Antarctica are totally obscured from the sun. Polar nights occur around the winter solstice, which is December 21st in the Arctic, and June 21st in Antarctica. Midnight sun is the opposite of a polar night, it's when the sun does not set for more than 24 hours, resulting in daylight at night. This happens at the summer solstice, the opposite to the winter solstice. Now let's look at how the polar regions are truly poles apart. The biggest difference is that Antarctica is a continent, but the Arctic is not. Although they are both mostly covered in ice, what's underneath is very different. Antarctica is a continent. If you drilled through more than 2,000 meters of ice, you'd find a land mass made up of mountain ranges, gorges, and valleys. This is why we consider Antarctica to be the fifth largest continent on the Earth, bigger than Europe and Australia. On the other hand, there is no land beneath the Arctic, it is mostly sea ice sitting on the ocean. If you drilled through the ice here, you'd only find water, so it's not considered a continent. Our second difference is the temperature. Temperatures in the Arctic vary from negative 37 degrees centigrade in the winter up to plus 10 degrees centigrade in the summer, just peaking above freezing. Meanwhile, Antarctica is far colder. In fact, it's the coldest continent on Earth. Average temperatures range from negative 10 degrees centigrade on the coast down to negative 60 degrees inland. Extreme winters can be even colder. The third difference between the Arctic and Antarctica is the animals. Contrary to popular belief, polar bears do not eat penguins. That's because they live at opposite ends of the world. Polar bears live in the Arctic, which has a thriving animal population. Here you'll also find the Arctic fox, snowy owl, Arctic hare, caribou, and many more land mammals. Meanwhile, penguins live in Antarctica, which doesn't have any natural land mammals, reptiles, or amphibians. It's best known for such as whales and seals, as well as marine birds such as penguins and the albatross. Number 4. There is more diverse vegetation in the Arctic Remember earlier when we mentioned how temperatures in the Arctic peak above freezing? Well, this allows the ice to thaw and basic vegetation to grow, whereas in Antarctica, the ground remains frozen year-round. This is why there are only two flowering plants in Antarctica compared to more than 2,000 in the Arctic. Number 5. The Arctic has 4 million permanent residents For thousands of years, people have found ways to live in the extreme Arctic climate. An estimated 4 million people live there today, including indigenous populations, as well as modern towns and cities. By contrast, Antarctica's subzero climate means that it has no native human population. Only around 1,000 to 5,000 temporary residents live at the research centers there. And our final key difference for today is that Antarctica is not owned by anyone. Under the Antarctic Treaty signed in 1961, there are no countries in Antarctica. It's entirely free of ownership and is governed by the treaty. On the other hand, the Arctic sits across eight different countries. Each one owns and governs its own respective part. The eight countries are Canada, Denmark, which owns Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and the United States, which owns Alaska. We hope you found this interesting. Our full article on PolarGuidebook.com contains even more infographics and data tables about the two polar regions. Find the link in the description. Thanks for watching.