FACTS ABOUT THE NORTH POLE

JUST AS THERE ARE NO POLAR BEARS AT

THE SOUTH POLE, THERE ARE NO PENGUINS

AT THE NORTH POLE.

ALTHOUGH LIFE IS SPARSE, POLAR BEARS, ARCTIC FOXES

AND VARIOUS BIRD SPECIES HAVE BEEN SPOTTED NEAR

THE POLE. TYPICALLY THESE ANIMALS DON’T WANDER

TOO FAR PAST 82 DEGREES NORTH DUE TO A

LACK OF FOOD.

THERE IS AN ANNUAL MARATHON THAT TAKES

PLACE ON THE ARCTIC ICE SHELF

THE ARCTIC COUNTRIES – RUSSIA, UNITED STATES, NORWAY,

DENMARK (GREENLAND), AND CANADA HAVE SPENT A

SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME IN TERRITORIAL DISPUTE.

CURRENTLY, ACCORDING TO MUTUAL AGREEMENTS, NOBODY

CAN LAY CLAIM THE NORTH POLE AND ITS

SURROUNDING REGIONS

ROBERT PEARY IS GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS THE

FIRST PERSON TO REACH THE NORTH POLE IN 1909.

HE DID IT WITH A TEAM OF ESKIMOS ON DOG SLED

SINCE THEN PEOPLE HAVE FLOWN AND QUITE OFTEN

VARIOUS NAVIES WILL SURFACE THEIR

SUBMARINES HERE!

THE NORTH POLE SPENDS HALF OF THE YEAR IN

DARKNESS AND HALF OF THE YEAR IN LIGHT

DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE, THE ICE SHELF IS RECEDING.

THIS WILL POTENTIALLY OPEN THE LONG SOUGHT

AFTER NORTHWEST PASSAGE TO SHIPPING AND MAY

HELP REDUCE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN EUROPE AND

ASIA FOR FREIGHTERS BY THOUSANDS OF KILOMETRES.

THE ONLY ISSUE IS THAT WHILE CANADA CLAIMS THE

WATER AS ITS OWN, THE US AND EUROPE MAINTAIN

THAT THE WATERS ARE INTERNATIONAL AND SHOULD

BE OPEN TO OTHER NATIONS.