The coldest region on earth is a pole. On the poles of the earth are cold because the sun's rays fall there is not perpendicular, and oblique. As sunlight warms the stronger than otvesnye he falls to the Ground. At the poles the sun's rays as if gliding along the Ground, and not so warm.
Where colder - at the North pole (Arctic) or southern (Antarctic)? The first thing that comes to mind is colder in the North. And it's wrong! The lowest temperature registered on our planet, was recorded at Vostok station near the South Geomagnetic Pole and was -86,9°C. the Average temperature of the southern continent is -49°C, which is the coldest climate on Earth. In the Arctic, the average winter temperature is approaching only to -34°C, and in summer there is even warmer.
And all because the Arctic is the only frozen cover of the ocean, and Antarctica is a huge continent. On the territory of Antarctica covers an area of about 14 million km2, which is almost twice the area of Australia and one and a half times larger than the area of Europe! Therefore, the climate in the southern polar circle more severe than in the Arctic. Also, Antarctica is covered with ice, and the ice reflects 95% of solar radiation. And finally, in the cold climate of Antarctica is guilty of an area of high atmospheric pressure from the descending currents of air, which do not form clouds. For this reason, in Antarctica no rainfall.
Antarctica is so cold that the snow in some parts of the continent does not melt ever. On this continent is almost 90% of the world reserves of ice containing approximately ¾ of fresh water on our planet.
Did you know that...
Antarctica is the only continent that does not belong to anyone, and is the mainland of international cooperation. The real masters of the continent are researchers from different parts of the world. In Antarctica there is no history of the indigenous population, and it is under the jurisdiction of the Antarctic agreement, requiring careful attitude to land and resources, and use them only for peaceful and scientific purposes.