North Pole (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what the north pole, its characteristics and its types is. In addition, its climate, flora and fauna, what is a northern dawn and more.

What is the North Pole?

The northern pole is the most northern geographical point of the earththat is, the north of the planet. There all meridians converge and all directions point to the south. It is located on the Arctic Ocean, at 90 ° north latitude.

Unlike the South Pole, which is located in the Antarctic continent, the North Pole is not found on any continental surface, but also It consists of huge ice blocks that float on the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Between the two poles, an imaginary line can be traced, which is the planet’s rotation axis.

The region that surrounds the North Pole is characterized by having a glacial polar climate With temperatures below zero every month of the year and very scarce rainfall, which in general does not exceed 200 millimeters per year.

The first people to arrive at the North Pole were the Italian engineer Umberto Nobile, the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and the American explorer Lincoln Ellsworth. Together with other thirteen people, they departed from Rome aboard an airship and, on May 12, 1926, after several days of travel, they managed to fly over the North Pole.

The Arctic word derives from the Greek term Arktos, which means “bear.” This denomination refers to the constellations of the Osa Mayor and the Minor Osa, located on the sky of the North Pole area and the Arctic Region.

North pole characteristics

Among the main characteristics of the North Pole, the following stand out:

It is made up of huge ice caps on the Arctic Ocean, that is, it has no mass of continental land.
It is an area that limits with 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 in which boreales can be observed.
There are polar night (a period in which the sun does not come out at any time of the day) and the polar day (a period in which sunlight is present at all times).
Among the peoples living in the nearby continental areas, are the Inuits, the Sami, the Chukchi, the Nenets and the Aleutas.

Geographic North Pole and Magnetic North Pole

North Pole - North Pole — The geographical north pole coincides with the point of the Earth’s rotation axis of the northern hemisphere.

When talking about the north pole, you can be referring to two different references:

The geographical northern pole. It is the geographical point of the earth’s surface that coincides with the northern vertex of the imaginary axis of rotation of the planet. At the opposite end, there is the South Pole.
The magnetic northern pole. It is the location in the north direction that marks the compass and that every year suffers displacements of about 40 or 50 kilometers. This is due to the fact that part of the Earth’s core is not solid and that influences the magnetic field it generates.

North Pole Climate

The climate of the northern pole is the glacial polar. In this region, winter temperatures range between -46 ºC and -26 ºC, while in summer they approach the 0 ºC, but almost never exceed them.
Rainfall is very scarcethey are rarely more than 200 millimeters per year, and always occur in the form of snow. Another characteristic of glacial polar climate are intense winds, which contribute to significantly reduce thermal sensation.

It is called Polar day to the phenomenon characterized by the presence of sunlight 24 hours a day. This happens because, being at the end of the planet, the north pole is always facing the sun during the summer, despite the rotation of the Earth. In the South Pole, at the same time, the Polar nightin which sunlight does not appear at any time. This phenomenon is reversed in the two poles when changing the stations.

Population of the North Pole

Inuit are native inhabitants who live in northern America.

As it is not located on a continental surface, The northern pole is uninhabited. However, small indigenous communities were established in the nearby continental areas, among which they stand out:

The Inuit. Inuit are a group of indigenous peoples who inhabit mainly in Canada, Greenland, Alaska (United States) and parts of Siberia (Russia). They are known for their ability to adapt to the hard conditions of the Arctic and have developed a culture based on hunting, fishing and collection. Traditionally, they live in houses made of ice blocks and snow Iglús. It is estimated to make up this town about 170,000 people.
The Sami. The Sami are an indigenous town that occupies parts of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula (Russia). They are known for their traditional way of life, based on reindeer breeding, fishing and hunting. It is estimated to make up this town about 82,000 people.
The Chukchi. Chukchis are an ethnic group that lives in the Chukotka region, at the northeast end of Siberia (Russia). These lands have inhabited for thousands of years and have traditionally dedicated themselves to hunting, fishing and reindeer breeding. It is estimated to make up this town about 10,000 people.
The Nenets. Nenets are a group of reindeer shepherds living in the Yamal Peninsula, in the northwest of Siberia (Russia). Its way of life revolves around reindeer breeding, which provides food, clothing and shelter. Its culture is characterized by its close relationship with nature and its ability to move through vast extensions of Tundra. It is estimated that about 40,000 people make up.
The Aleutas. The Aleutas are an indigenous group that has historically lived in the Aleutian Islands and the Pibilof Islands, which extend from southwest Alaska to the east of the Bering Sea. Traditionally, the Aleutas dedicated themselves to the hunting of marine mammals and fishing, and their culture is closely related to the marine environment. It is estimated to make up this town about 18,000 people.

North Pole’s Flora

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 conditions. They usually grow near rocks to protect themselves from winds, develop underground structures to store nutrients and can perform photosynthesis with very little sunlight.

Some examples of the flora that can be found in the North Pole are the lichens that grow on the rocks and algae that cling to ice formations.

North pole fauna

The fauna of the northern pole is made up of animals capable of supporting low temperatures and hard climatic conditions. Their main adaptations are thermal insulation (with dense fur and thick layers of fat that allow them to stay hot), hibernation (the ability to enter a prolonged dream to minimize energy spending) and migration (to escape the most intense cold and get food).

Among the main examples of Arctic animals, the polar bear (which lives only in the North Pole), the seal, the whale of Greenland, the ox, the Beluga, the Arctic Fox and various birds, such as the Arctic Charrán or the White Goose.

The northern lights

Aurora is an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs in polar regions Due to the interaction between the Earth’s magnetic field energy, the intensity of the solar winds and atmospheric gases. In the North Pole, it is called Aurora Boreal, while in the South Pole it is called Aurora Austral.

References

Díaz, JV (2020). The magnetic and geographical poles of the Earth. International Center for Earth Sciences (ICES). https://www.uncuyo.edu.ar/
García, C. (2022). What is the Arctic Council? The world order (EOM). https://elordenmundial.com/
Geoencyclopedia. (2023). Arctic Ocean. https://www.geoencyclopedia.com/
Mailier, F. (2017). Polar encounters: Native Arctic peoples. International Policy Observatory, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Catholic University of Santa Fe. Https://www.ucsf.edu.ar/
Terrasa, D. (2018). Köppen Climate Classification. The guide. https://geography.laguia2000.com/