Comparisons between the Arctic and Antarctic regions tend to focus primarily on climate factors and weather conditions. But in terms of human inhabitation, geography, wildlife, and commercial exploitation the two regions are in many ways 'polar opposites'.

How They Differ

• The Arctic region is essentially an ocean surrounded by continents and islands. Antarctica, by contrast is a continent surrounded by oceans.
  
  
• Though the Arctic is mostly frozen ocean, the moderating effect of water makes the Arctic climate more hospitable to human and animal life than the ice-locked Antarctic continent.
  
  
• In the Arctic snow is subject to melting and evaporation more than in Antarctica, and thus ice buildup is less.
  
  
• During the summer months, the Arctic, unlike Antarctica, is mostly free of snow and ice cover, and therefore allows for much plant growth in the permafrost soils of the open tundra.
  
  
• Glaciers are common throughout the Canadian and Russian archipelagoes, but the only permanent ice sheet, that of Greenland, is about one-eighth the size of the Antarctic ice sheet.
  
  
• Since the Southern Ocean surrounds Antarctica, winds from its strong storms help create an ocean current that circles the continent. This reduces the amount of warm water that reaches the continent. The Arctic, on the other hand, receives some relatively warm water from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
  
  
• The Arctic region has been inhabited by humans for close to 20,000 years, whereas Antarctica has no indigenous populations; the only people who live there do so on a seasonal basis, mainly at various research stations which dot the continent.
  
  
• The proximity of Arctic regions to the densely populated European, Asian, and North American regions, means that the Arctic, for better or worse, has had a stronger human influence than its southern counterpart.
  
  
• Over the last several centuries, both the Arctic and Antarctic regions have been subjected to various forms of commercial exploitation. However, in Antarctica, that exploitation has been more marine-based (fishing, sealing, and whaling) and any type of resource extraction is essentially banned today, resulting in the recovery of most marine species.
  
  
• In the Arctic, marine fisheries are currently facing growing threats (in many cases stocks are badly depleted) and land-based industries such as hunting, mining, logging, and tourism are major sources of income with their continued impacts causing increasing concern.
  
  
• The Antarctic interior continent is essentially devoid of plant and animal life year round (aside from isolated occurrences of lichens and microorganisms in the Dry Valleys region). Inland Arctic areas, even in winter, can sustain several species of larger mammals (such as: caribou, polar bears, musk oxen, wolves, and foxes) and a variety of vegetation types. In summer, thousands of migratory birds and other wildlife come to the Arctic to feed and raise their young.
  
  
• In Antarctica, many nations have claims on portions of the continent, though it is considered Internationally owned. Arctic regions, by contrast are owned by eight different countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the U.S., Canada, Greenland, and Iceland.
  

Why is Antarctica colder than the Arctic?