Test your knowledge of Earth’s poles with these quiz-style differences between the Arctic and Antarctica!
-
Location Quiz: Which pole is a frozen ocean surrounded by continents? (Hint: The other is a massive continent surrounded by ocean.)
- Answer: The Arctic is an ocean surrounded by land, while Antarctica is a continent surrounded by ocean.
-
Temperature Challenge: Which pole is colder, reaching -80°C (-112°F) at times?
- Answer: Antarctica is significantly colder than the Arctic.
-
Wildlife Wonder: Where can you find polar bears, and where would you spot penguins?
- Answer: Polar bears live in the Arctic; penguins are found in Antarctica.
-
People and Culture: Which pole has indigenous people like the Inuit?
- Answer: The Arctic is home to indigenous communities. Antarctica has no native human inhabitants.
-
Governance Quiz: Which region is governed by a treaty banning military activity and preserving it for science?
- Answer: Antarctica is governed by the Antarctic Treaty. The Arctic is split among several nations.
-
Vegetation Check: Where would you find small shrubs and mosses, and where would vegetation be nearly nonexistent?
- Answer: The Arctic has some tundra vegetation, while Antarctica has very little plant life.
-
Ice Dynamics: Which pole’s ice is thinner and floats, and which has thick, continental ice sheets?
- Answer: Arctic ice floats on the ocean; Antarctica has massive ice sheets.
-
Aurora Trivia: What are the Northern Lights and Southern Lights?
- Answer: The Northern Lights are in the Arctic, while the Southern Lights are in Antarctica.
