The Polar Regions

The polar regions are the coldest places on the Earth. The temperatures there have gotten as low as –126 degrees Fahrenheit. The sea is covered with a thick layer of ice. Days are very long in the polar regions. The sun doesn’t set during three to four of the summer months. Though there is a lot of sun, it doesn’t provide very much warmth. It doesn’t rain very often, either, but there is snow on the ground.

The living conditions in the polar regions are extreme. Plants cannot grow, but there are some animals that are able to survive. Some of these animals are the seal, walrus, polar bear, wolf, caribou, whale, and the arctic fox. These animals have adapted to this climate. For example, the polar bear has a thick layer of fat under its fur coat. This helps keep it warm.

Along the outer edges of the polar region and the ice caps, the ground is frozen solid. In the warmer months, mosses and other plants can grow there. Reindeer live along the edges and eat some of the plants that grow on the outer edges. People who once lived in these frozen climates used reindeer. Today, most of these people live in cities and towns instead of on the frozen countryside.