polar regions

• polar regions are found past 66 degrees in both the northern and southern hemispheres
• polar regions have very cold and dry climates
• the arctic and antarctica are the two polar regions
• the arctic includes the arctic ocean and parts of countries such as northern Canada, Greenland, and northern Russia
• winter temperatures in the arctic can range from -40 to +10 with less than 100mm of precipitation per year
• antarctica is colder than the arctic with temperatures as low as -80
• the whole continent of antarctica is an icecap
• antarctica is very dry with less than 50mm of precipitation per year
• the arctic has a population of 4 million and Antarctica has no permanent residents
• agricultural productivity in polar regions is low so most farming is subsistence

  arable farming is not possible, so most people have meat-based diets
• native people in the arctic migrate seasonally to follow animals for food
• buildings are built on stilts and roads are built on thick concrete to stop permafrost melting
• the climate of polar regions limits economic development, but there is seasonal work like tourism jobs and the possibility for oil extraction to create jobs
• melting sea ice in the arctic allows for shipping routes to open and trade to become easier

  commercial fishing also happens when there is no sea ice