While the north and south poles and their wider regions have many similarities, they are also “polar opposites” metaphorically as well as literally in many ways….Arctic and Antarctic – Comparisons & Similarities. North Pole v South Pole.

South Pole is 12 hours ahead of North Pole.

The primary difference between the Arctic and Antarctica is geographical. The Arctic is an ocean, covered by a thin layer of perennial sea ice and surrounded by land. Antarctica, on the other hand, is a continent, covered by a very thick ice cap and surrounded by a rim of sea ice and the Southern Ocean.

The polar regions have special navigation concerns in the form of the magnetic fields which permeate them. These can make it difficult for planes to navigate because the polar areas interfere with magnetic navigational tools.

No-one lives in Antarctica indefinitely in the way that they do in the rest of the world. It has no commercial industries, no towns or cities, no permanent residents. The only “settlements” with longer term residents (who stay for some months or a year, maybe two) are scientific bases.

Antarctica has no permanent residents. At least 11 children have been born in Antarctica. The first was Emilio Marcos Palma, born on 7 January 1978 to Argentine parents at Esperanza, Hope Bay, near the tip of the Antarctic peninsula.

Antarctica is the only continent on Earth without a native human population. If you are a citizen of a country that is a signatory of the Antarctic Treaty, you do need to get permission to travel to Antarctica. This is nearly always done through tour operators.

However, in Antarctica, taking anything is banned. This includes rocks, feathers, bones, eggs and any kind of biological material including traces of soil. Taking anything man-made is also completely banned, as some might actually be research equipment.

It is a very rough circular shape with the long arm of the Antarctic Peninsula stretching towards South America. There are two large indentations, the Ross and Weddell seas and their ice shelves. In the winter Antarctica doubles in size due to the sea ice that forms around the coasts.

By far the most popular food in Antarctica is seafood, and in particular shellfish. Since nearly all of the local population lives near the shores, and the continent itself is filled with streams, lakes and rivers throughout, the seafood you’ll be consuming will be extremely fresh.

The Antarctic ice sheet holds about 90 percent of Earth’s fresh water in 30 million cubic kilometres of ice. But there’s not a drop to drink, unless you pour some serious energy into making it.

Vehicles. The scarcity and poor quality of road infrastructure limits land transportation by conventional vehicles. A normal car on tires has very limited capability for Antarctic conditions. Scientific bases are often built on snow free areas (oases) close to the ocean.

Ushuaia

To minimize light pollution at the South Pole, window coverings are installed over every station window. Over the years, winter-overs have taken the time to decorate them.

For decades Antarctica – the only continent with no indigenous population – hosted only the simplest huts as human shelters. But, as Matthew Teller finds out, architecture in the coldest, driest, windiest reaches of our planet is getting snazzier.

Originally Answered: Can I buy land in Antarctica? No. The Antarctic Treaty System (ATS), ratified in 1961, guarantees anyone access to any part of the continent of Antarctica as long as it’s for research and/or peaceful purposes. No, treaties prohibit it.

More than 50 Antarctic stations were established for the IGY by just 12 countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Ushuaia. Ushuaia (population 67,600) is the capital of the Argentinean province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctic and South Atlantic Islands. It is commonly referred to as the southernmost city in the world.