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The southernmost continent in the world, Antarctica surrounds the South Pole. Its name means "opposite to the Arctic" (the Arctic is the region around the North Pole). The...

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Arctic facts

1. The Arctic is located at the northernmost part of our planet. Scientists usually define the Arctic as the area above the ' Arctic Circle' - an imaginary line that circles around the top of the globe.

2. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of , , the , Greenland, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland.

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable North and South Pole primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

3. Because of the 's tilt, for at least one day a year there's an entire day of darkness in this freezing region - and also a full day of sunshine. Imagine that!

4. Temperatures as low as - 70°C have been recorded in northern Greenland. Brrrrr!

5. Despite the freezing-cold temperatures, approximately four million people call this wintery wonderland home! Amongst these are the indigenous people of the Arctic, called the ' Inuits '. They've found ingenious ways to survive in one of the harshest environments on our planet.

6. In 1958, a submarine called the USS Nautilus sailed beneath the frozen ice of the Arctic Ocean. This was proof that the enormous ice sheet rests on water and not land.

7. The Arctic is home to lots of wonderful wildlife, including polar bears, Arctic foxes, walruses, seals and !

8. One fascinating species found only in the Arctic is the narwhal, often referred to as the 'unicorn of the sea'. Why? Well, male narwhals have a straight tusk projecting from the front of their head that can grow to over 3m in length!

9. The word 'Arctic' comes from the Greek word for bear, . But this isn't because of the polar bears! It's believed the name refers to two constellations that can be seen in the northern sky - 'Ursa Minor' (Little Bear) and 'Ursa Major' (Great Bear).

10. The ice of the Arctic contains around ten percent of the world's fresh water. This giant, white, frozen reservoir reflects sunlight, helping keep the region cool. It also plays a super-important role in keeping our global climate stable.

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable polar bear primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

Images: Getty

What did you make of our Arctic facts? Let us know by leaving a comment, below!

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10 facts about the Arctic | National Geographic Kids

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Check out ten chilly Arctic facts here at National Geographic Kids! Where is the Arctic? How cold is it? Who lives in the Arctic? Find out here!

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Here are our Top Ten Arctic Ocean Facts for Kids with lots of useful info for school projects or to get inspired for your next travels. Read here what you definitely should know about the Arctic Ocean.

Arctic Ocean Facts

1. Location: Where is the Arctic Ocean? The Arctic Ocean is located in the northern hemisphere north of 60 degrees North latitude and borders the Eurasian and North American continents and surrounds Greenland and several islands.

Below you can see a map showing the Arctic Ocean:

2. Name: The Arctic Ocean derives its name from the Greek word ' arktos' which means 'bear'.

3. Size: How big is the Arctic Ocean? The Arctic Ocean is the smallest ocean on earth and covers less than 3% of the earth's surface. Much of the ocean is covered by ice, however the thickness of the ice varies depending on the season.

The average depth is about 1,038 m/ 3,406 ft - which makes it much less deep than the 4. Depth: How deep is the Arctic Ocean? Southern Ocean is. The deepest point is the Litke deep with 5,450 m/ 17,880 ft.

The ocean has deep trenches and also some ridges, the biggest ridge is Lomonosov Ridge which divides the ocean into the Amerasian basin and the Eurasian basin.

5. Arctic Ocean Facts: Icebergs and ice packs will be encountered in the Arctic during any season, but the oceans surface will be covered by ice during June to October.

Due to climate change and global warming the ice packs melt in spring and summer and re-freeze in the colder autumn and winter. Ice-breaker ships escort ships on their passage through the frozen Arctic waters.

More Arctic Ocean Facts

6. Temperature: The sea temperatures of the Arctic Ocean is quite constant and is around -2 degrees C Celsius/ 28 degrees Fahrenheit all year round.

The climatic conditions depend on the seasons; the sky is mostly cloudy over the Arctic ocean. Winter is long and lasts from September to May. The sea ice-packs are affected by wind and ocean currents.

On the artic region's islands one will experience permafrost. Permafrost means that soil is frozen for more than two years!

The Arctic ice is decreasing because of the increasing temperatures of the ocean waters due to global warming. More ice-packs are melting during summer and less water is freezing in winter every year.

The low temperatures in the region, however, do not deter tourists exploring the area on special adventure travels and expeditions. Many visitors experience the Arctic region every year.

Most travels are started from Svalbard island in Norway or Nuuk in Greenland.

7. People in the Arctic Region: Only few explorers ventured beyond the Arctic circle before the 19th century.

The first known explorer who successfully crossed the Arctic Ocean was the Norwegian scientist Fridtjof Nansen in 1896 on his North Pole expedition. Nansen was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 for his work with refugees during and after the First World War.

Several cultural groups of indigenous people live today in the Arctic region, among them the Inuit, Yupik, Aleut and Saami people as well as Nenets in Russia. They try to still uphold their centuries old traditions such as reindeer herding, fishing and hunting.

8. Arctic Ocean Facts: Animals in the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic Ocean is home to whales, walruses, polar bears and seals.

In the Arctic, seals are hunted for their fur and food. Most of the fur is exported to China and Russia where it is used for clothing. Seal meat is exported mainly to Asian countries.

Animal protection groups protest against the annual seal hunt which takes place between November and May in Canada. It is illegal to hunt seal pups.

9. Ports: There are several ports in the Arctic Ocean. The biggest ports are Murmansk in Russia, Kirkenes in Norway and Nuuk in Greenland, Churchill in Canada and Barrow in Alaska/USA. The main Arctic research stations are located along the coastline.

Interesting Fact: In Churchill in northern Canada, there are more polar bears during summer than people!

There polar bears can be observed by tourists in their natural habitat. As the ice is melting they come to the settlements to look for food. Read more here.

Another popular attraction for visitors to the polar region are the Northern Lights, also called the Aurora Borealis.

The dancing light glow in the sky can be observed between November and April. Among the best places to see the Northern Lights are: Svalbard island in Norway, Churchill in Canada and Kangerlussuaq in Greenland.

10. Arctic Ocean Facts: Which countries border the Arctic Ocean? Six countries border the Arctic Ocean, these include: Canada and the United States, Russia, Norway, Iceland and Denmark (Greenland) border the Arctic Ocean.

Resources for Arctic Ocean Facts

Visit Greenland. "The Northern Lights." VisitGreenland. Last accessed 24 November 2022

Travel Manitoba. "See Polar Bears in Manitoba." Everything Churchill. Last accessed 24 November 2022

Popular Pages

Image Credits: All images used on this site are sourced from shutterstock.com, freeimages.com and Canva.com or own photos, if not otherwise mentioned. Denmark/Little Mermaid image- Pocholo Calapre/ shutterstock.com Return from Arctic Ocean Facts to Kids World Travel Guide Homepage
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Arctic Ocean Facts for Kids | Oceans | Geography | Northern Lights

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Our Arctic Ocean Facts share fun and important facts about the Arctic Ocean, people, animals, sights not to miss and geography superlatives

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Area

Overall: 14,000,000 km² (5,400,000 sq mi)

Ice-free: 280,000 km² (100,000 sq mi)

Ice-covered: 13,720,000 km² (5,300,000 sq mi)

Population

0 (about 1000 people living temporarily)

Dependencies

Time zones

None

Internet TLD
.aq

Antarctica is the Earth's southernmost continent. It is on the South Pole. It's almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle. Around Antarctica is the Southern Ocean. At 14.0 million km ² (5.4 million sq mi), it is the fifth-largest continent in area after Asia, Africa, North America, and South America. About 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice. This ice averages at least 1.6 kilometers (1.0 mi) in thickness.

Antarctica, on average, is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent. It is also the highest of all the continents. Antarctica is considered a desert. It has yearly precipitation of only 200 mm (8 inches) near the sea and far less inland. No humans live in Antarctica permanently. However, about 1,000 to 5,000 people live through the year at the science stations in Antarctica. Only plants and animals that can live in cold live there. The animals include penguins, seals, nematodes, tardigrades and mites. Plant life includes some grass and shrubs, algae, lichen, fungi, and bacteria.

The first known sighting of the continent was in 1820. Antarctica was mostly forgotten for the rest of the 19th century. This was because of its hostile environment, few resources, and isolation. The first official use of the name Antarctica as a continental name in the 1890s is said to have been used by Scottish cartographer John George Bartholomew.

Geography and geology

Antarctica is covered by an ice sheet about four kilometres thick. Under the ice it is mostly land, although the ice shelves are over the ocean. The Transantarctic Mountains divide the land between East Antarctica in the Eastern Hemisphere and West Antarctica in the Western Hemisphere.

Antarctica is the coldest of Earth's continents. It used to be ice-free until about 34 million years ago, when it became covered with ice. The coldest natural air temperature ever recorded on Earth was −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F) at the Soviet (now Russian) Vostok Station in Antarctica on 21 July 1983.

Antarctica is a frozen desert with little rain; the South Pole itself receives less than 10 cm (4 in) per year, on average. Temperatures reach a minimum of between −80 °C (−112 °F) and −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F) in the interior in winter and reach a maximum of between 5 °C (41 °F) and 15 °C (59 °F) near the coast in summer.

Sunburn is often a health issue as the snow surface reflects almost all of the ultraviolet light falling on it. Given the latitude, long periods of constant darkness or constant sunlight create climates unfamiliar to human beings in much of the rest of the world.

East Antarctica is colder than its western counterpart because of its higher elevation. Weather fronts rarely penetrate far into the continent, leaving the centre cold and dry. Despite the lack of rain over the central portion of the continent, ice there lasts for extended periods. Heavy snowfalls are common on the coastal portion of the continent, where snowfalls of up to 1.22 metres (48 in) in 48 hours have been recorded.

At the edge of the continent, strong katabatic winds off the polar plateau often blow at storm force. In the interior, wind speeds are typically moderate. During clear days in summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than at the equator because of the 24 hours of sunlight each day at the Pole.

Antarctica is colder than the Arctic for three reasons. First, much of the continent is more than 3,000 m (9,800 ft) above sea level, and temperature decreases with elevation in the troposphere. Second, the Arctic Ocean covers the north polar zone: the ocean's relative warmth is transferred through the icepack and prevents temperatures in the Arctic regions from reaching the extremes typical of the land surface of Antarctica. Third, the Earth is at aphelion in July (i.e., the Earth is farthest from the Sun in the Antarctic winter), and the Earth is at perihelion in January (i.e., the Earth is closest to the Sun in the Antarctic summer). The orbital distance contributes to a colder Antarctic winter (and a warmer Antarctic summer) but the first two effects have more impact.

The aurora australis, commonly known as the southern lights, is a glow observed in the night sky near the South Pole created by the plasma-full solar winds that pass by the Earth. Another unique spectacle is diamond dust, a ground-level cloud composed of tiny ice crystals. It generally forms under otherwise clear or nearly clear skies, so people sometimes also refer to it as clear-sky precipitation. A sun dog, a frequent atmospheric optical phenomenon, is a bright "spot" beside the true sun.

Life in Antarctica

Few land plants grow in Antarctica. This is because Antarctica does not have much moisture (water), sunlight, good soil, or a warm temperature. Plants usually only grow for a few weeks in the summer. However, moss, lichen and algae do grow. The most important organisms in Antarctica are the plankton which grow in the ocean.

One important source of food in the Antarctic is the krill, which is a general term for the small shrimp-like marine crustaceans. Krill are near the bottom of the food chain: they feed on phytoplankton and to a lesser extent zooplankton. Krill are a food form suitable for the larger animals for whom krill makes up the largest part of their diet. So whales, penguins, seals, and even some of the birds that live in the Antarctic, depend on krill.

Whales are the largest animals in the ocean, and in Antarctica. They are mammals, not fish. That means that they breathe air and do not lay eggs. Many different kinds of whales live in the oceans around Antarctica. Whalers have hunted whales for hundreds of years, for meat and blubber. Nowadays most whaling is done in the Antarctic area.

History of its discovery

For a long time, people had believed that there was a great continent in the far south of Earth. They thought this Terra Australis would "balance" the lands in the north like Europe, Asia and North Africa. People have believed this from the times of Ptolemy (1st century AD). He suggested this idea to keep the balance of all known lands in the world. Pictures of a large land in the south were common in maps. In the late 17th century, people discovered that South America and Australia were not part of the mythical "Antarctica". However, geographers still believed that Antarctica was much bigger than it really was.

European maps continued to show this unknown land until Captain James Cook's ships, HMS Resolution and Adventure, crossed the Antarctic Circle on 17 January 1773, in December 1773. They crossed it again in January 1774. In fact, Cook did come within about 75 miles (121 km) of the Antarctic coast. However, he was forced to go back because of ice in January 1773.

The first confirmed sighting of Antarctica were by three different men. According to different organizations, ships captained by three men saw Antarctica in 1820. The three men were Fabian von Bellingshausen (a captain in the Russian Imperial Navy), Edward Bransfield (a captain in the Royal Navy), and Nathaniel Palmer (an American seal hunter out of Stonington, Connecticut). The first recorded landing on mainland Antarctica was by the American sealer John Davis. He landed on West Antarctica on 7 February 1821. However, some historians are not sure about this claim.

People began discovering different parts of Antarctica and mapping them. This was slow work because they could only work in the summer. At last a map was made, and people began to talk about exploring the land, not only the sea. However, this would have been very hard work. They would have to break through the ice that was around Antarctica. Then they would have to land on it and bring in enough things to live on while they explored the land.

The first serious exploration of the Antarctic land was the Nimrod Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton in 1907-09. They were the first to climb Mount Erebus and to reach the South Magnetic Pole. Shackleton himself and three other members of his expedition made several firsts in December 1908 - February 1909. They were the first humans to cross the Ross Ice Shelf, and the Transantarctic Mountain Range (via the Beardmore Glacier). They were the first to set foot on the South Polar Plateau.

Robert Falcon Scott, the most well known of all of the explorers, wanted to be the first man to reach the South Pole. At the same time, another team from Norway lead by Roald Amundsen started. They both raced each other to the South Pole, but in the end Amundsen won because he had made a good use of his sleigh dogs. Scott had used ponies and motor sleds, but when he got to the South Pole he found a message from Amundsen, showing that he had beaten Scott.

On his way back, Scott and three companions met a blizzard and froze to death while waiting for it to finish. The people who found him eight months later also found his records and diary, which he had written to the day he died.

Climate change and global warming are showing effects in Antarctica, particularly the Antarctic Peninsula.

Today people explore Antarctica using snowmobiles, which are faster than dogs and can pull heavier loads. Many come to Antarctica just for a short visit, as a trip. There are companies in South America that have vacations to Antarctica, so people pay to go there in a ship. Some people may just take their own boats.

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Images for kids

In Spanish: Antártida para niños

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Kids learn about the geography of Antarctica. Maps, natural resouces, and facts about this continent.

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In Antarctica Facts For Kids, we'll be exploring the vast frozen continent of Antarctica. We'll find out about its location, its climate, its animals and plants, and how it was discovered.

Discover interesting facts about Antarctica by looking out for the blue text !

Antarctica Facts For Kids (& Adults!)

A Complete Guide To Antarctica

On this page you'll find a complete guide to Antarctica. You can also check out the pages below for even more Antarctica facts & information!

What Is Antarctica?

Antarctica is a continent (the 5th largest)

The South Pole is located in Antarctica

Antarctica is surrounded by the Southern Ocean

Antarctica is an ice-covered continent that covers the southernmost part of the world. The South Pole is located in Antarctica. Antarctica is surrounded by the Southern Ocean.

Where Is Antarctica?

If you were to sail due south from either Chile, South Africa, Australia or New Zealand, you'd get to Antarctica! In fact, because the South Pole is in Antarctica, by flying south from anywhere in the world you'd eventually reach the continent.

Antarctica is at the 'bottom' of most globes.

Almost all of Antarctica is located within the Antarctic Circle, an imaginary line that circles the southern part of the world.

The latitude of the Antarctic Circle is approximately 66.5° South. Its exact latitude changes over time. As of February 2016, it is 66°33′46.1″.

Latitude is a way of measuring how far north or south a point on the globe is. The South Pole has a latitude of 90° South, the Equator a latitude of 0°, and the North Pole of 90° North. Latitude is the angle from the Equator, measured from the centre of the earth.

Antarctica Geography

Click on the map below to see a larger image:

Antarctica is divided into three main parts. East Antarctica is the biggest part. It is separated from West Antarctica by a mountain range called the Transantarctic Mountains.

Projecting from West Antarctica is the Antarctic Peninsula, the northernmost part of Antarctica. From the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, South America is around 621 miles (1,000 km) away.

The South Pole is in East Antarctica.

Click on the map of Antarctica above to explore the continent. (Map provided by NASA's LIMA Project.)

Day Lengths On Antarctica

Within the Antarctic Circle, there are periods of the year during which the sun doesn't rise for at least 24 hours, and during which the sun doesn't set for at least 24 hours. (In fact, this is how the location of the Antarctic Circle is defined, rather than having a fixed, physical location.)

As you approach the South Pole, the periods during the winter in which the sun doesn't rise - and in the summer in which the sun doesn't set - get increasingly longer.

At the South Pole itself, the sun only rises once a year, and only sets once a year!

Antarctica Vs Antarctic

The world Antarctica refers to the continent of Antarctica. The word Antarctic is used to describe the polar region that includes the continent of Antarctica, and also the seas and islands of the Southern Ocean that surround the continent.

Is There Land Under Antarctica?

Unlike the North Pole, which is located on a frozen ocean, the South Pole is on land.

Although it's buried by thick ice, there is land under Antarctica. There is therefore land under the South Pole. The same can't be said of the North Pole, which is located on the frozen ice of the Arctic Ocean.

Antarctica Ice Sheet

98% of Antarctica is covered by a thick sheet of ice. The ice is, on average, around 1.2 miles (1.9 km) thick. In places, the ice can be 2.8 miles (4.5 km) thick.

The ice sheet is continually moving, forming glaciers and huge ice shelves that float on the sea.

If the Antarctic ice sheet were to melt, then the world's sea level would be raised by 60 m (200 ft.)

Antarctica Video

The video below gives you a good idea of what Antarctica is like.

How Big Is Antarctica?

Antarctica covers an area of 14 million square kilometres (5.4 million square miles). It is the 5 th largest continent after Asia, Africa, North America, and South America. (The two continents that are smaller that Antarctica are Europe and Australia.)

Antarctica is almost twice the size of Australia, about 1.3 times the size of Europe, and just less than one and a half times the size of the USA.

Antarctica's coastline is 17,968 km (11,158 miles) long.

Antarctica Climate

Antarctica is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent on Earth.

Antarctica's climate is harsh and unforgiving. It is cold, dry, and frequently swept with hurricane force winds.

Antarctica is the earth's coldest continent. The average temperature in the interior of Antarctica is between -67 and -76 °F (-55 and -60 °C). The average temperature for the coldest part of the year is −81 °F (−63 °C).

There is very little precipitation on Antarctica. In the interior, it falls as snow, and averages 2 inches (50 mm) per year. More rain falls on the Sahara desert that snow on the Antarctic interior.

The climate is slightly milder on the coast and on the Antarctic Peninsula. At the coast, temperatures rise above freezing during the warmest summer month. There is more precipitation - some of which falls as rain in the summer - away from the interior. Antarctic coasts receive an annual rainfoall of around 8 in (200 mm).

The video below shows what a storm in Antarctica looks like.

Is Antarctica a country?

Antarctica is not a country, and doesn't have a government. Various countries have claimed parts of Antarctica, but these claims aren't always recognised by other countries.

In 1959, 12 countries signed the 'Antarctic Treaty' that prevented countries from claiming parts of Antarctica. The twelve countries were: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. Forty-one countries have since signed the treaty.

The treaty also ensured that Antarctica could only be used for scientific purposes. No military activity is allowed on Antarctica, and mining, nuclear explosions and nuclear waste disposal are also banned.

Since 1994, no non-native species (other than humans!) are allowed on Antarctica.

Do People Live On Antarctica?

Most of the people who live on Antarctica are scientists and support staff. In the summer, only 5,000 people live on the continent. Only around 1,000 people remain during the winter.

Antarctica has no indigenous peoples.

Who Discovered Antarctica?

British naval captain James Cook and his crew were the first people to enter the Antarctic circle. However, although they sailed within 150 miles of Antarctica, they were still too far away to actually see the continent.

The first time anyone laid eyes on Antarctica was in 1820, when several expeditions set out to the continent. One was led by Russian explorers Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev, and another by English naval officer Edward Bransfield.

Antarctica Animals

Antarctica is an inhospitable place, and has low biodiversity (i.e. not many different species live here). Life can only exist in milder coastal areas and on the Antarctic Peninsula.

There are no terrestrial mammals on Antarctica. Several species of seal, including the Elephant Seal and Antarctic Fur Seal, are found on the Antarctic coast.

Whales also inhabit the Southern Ocean. Species known to pass close to Antarctica include the Blue whale, Fin whale, Humpback whale and Sperm whale.

There are no reptiles or amphibians on Antarctica.

Several small invertebrates (animals without backbones) live on Antarctica. These include mites (tiny crustaceans), springtails (small, insect-like creatures), midges and other insects. Other Antarctic invertebrates include nematodes (tiny worms) and rotifers (microscopic animals).

Antarctic Penguins

Antarctica's most famous inhabitants are its penguins. Five species breed on Antartica itself: the Chinstrap Penguin, Adelie Penguin, Emperor Penguin, Gentoo Penguin and Macaroni Penguin. Other species breed on the surrounding islands.

In spring, around 100 million birds, including gulls, petrels, sheathbills and terns, nest on the coasts of Antarctica and the surrounding islands.

Antarctica Plants

Most of Antarctica's plants are found on the Antarctic Peninsula. Some mosses and lichens are found further inland. The only two flowering plants found on Antarctica are the Antarctic Hairgrass and the Antarctic Pearlwort.

Antarctica Facts For Kids Conclusion

We hope that you have enjoyed this quick introduction to one of the world's most amazing places. Now that you know all about Antarctica, why not take a trip to the opposite side of the world and learn some amazing Arctic Facts?

If you enjoyed reading this article please be sure to give it a mention on social media, and tell your friends to visit!

You can also sign up to our email newsletter and discover more about our amazing world and the living things that call it home!

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Antarctica Facts For Kids, With Pictures, Information & Video

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In Antarctica Facts For Kids, we'll be exploring the vast frozen continent of Antarctica. We'll find out about its location, its climate, its animals and plants, and how it was discovered. Discover interesting facts about Antarctica by looking out for the blue text ! On this page you'll find a complete guide to Antarctica.

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Discover more about the continent of Antarctica with BBC Bitesize KS2 Geography.