12 Fascinating Facts About the North Pole You Probably Didn’t Know

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The northernmost point on Earth might look pretty unassuming, but there are likely plenty of things about the North Pole you didn’t know. For example, did you know the North Pole doesn’t have a time zone or that there is no land? If you didn’t, you’ve come to the right place.

Millions of us write Christmas letters to Santa Claus addressed to the North Pole, but most of us don’t actually know what goes on so high in the Arctic, making it one of the most mysterious and misunderstood places on Earth. Today, we want to change that by sharing 12 fascinating facts about the North Pole. Let’s take a look!

No Country Owns the North Pole

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One of the most common things people don’t know about the North Pole is which country owns it. This is likely because, officially, the North Pole doesn’t belong to any country. Under international law, no country owns the North Pole or the region of the Arctic Ocean that surrounds it.

Geographically, the nearest countries to the North Pole are Canada and Denmark (via Greenland). However, neither country owns any part of the icy realm. That hasn’t stopped many countries, such as Russia, Canada, and the United States, from wanting to use the region for its oil, gas, and fishing resources. There are other towns and villages called the North Pole, but they aren’t the actual North Pole.

There Is No Time Zone in the North Pole

Perhaps one of the most fascinating and unique facts about the North Pole is that it doesn’t have a time zone. At the North Pole, all directions point south, and all longitudinal lines start there. Therefore, the North Pole’s longitude can be defined as any degree value, meaning no time zone exists.

Furthermore, no time zone has ever been assigned to the North Pole, so it simply doesn’t have one. As a result, any time can be used as the local time. This, combined with the fact that the North Pole can be completely dark for 24 hours, while other times there is sunlight for 24 hours, can confuse visitors.

The North Pole Isn’t the Coldest Place on Earth

When most people think about the North Pole, they tend to think of snow, ice, and freezing temperatures, and rightly so because the North Pole is very cold. However, most people don’t know the North Pole isn’t the coldest place on the planet. Instead, that record belongs to the East Antarctic Plateau in Antarctica, also known as the South Pole.

For context, the average winter temperature at the North Pole is -40°F (-40°C), while the average winter temperature at the South Pole is -76°F (-60°C). According to Wikipedia, the coldest temperature ever recorded at ground level on Earth was -128.6°F (-89.2°C) at Vostok Station in Antarctica. Now, that’s not somewhere you want to forget your coat.

There Are Four North Poles

One of the most surprising things people don’t know about the North Pole is that there are four of them, not including the towns and villages that take the real North Pole’s name. The most famous North Pole is the geographical North Pole, which lies in the central part of the Arctic Ocean.

There is also the Pole of Cold, the North Pole of Inaccessibility, and the North Magnetic Pole. The North Magnetic Pole is a point on the Earth’s surface where a compass always points down. Meanwhile, the Pole of Cold are places in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere where the lowest air temperatures have been recorded. Finally, the North Pole of Inaccessibility is the most remote point in the Arctic.

There Is No Land in the North Pole

While they seem similar, there is one significant difference between the North Pole and the South Pole. Unlike Antarctica, there is no land in the North Pole. Underneath all the snow and ice at the North Pole is nothing but the Arctic Ocean. Therefore, you could say the North Pole is nothing but a gigantic iceberg.

The amount and thickness of ice at the North Pole vary throughout the year, but there is concern about the rate at which it’s melting. If the North Pole were to melt, sea levels would rise globally, swallowing coastal cities and towns and potentially leaving some countries underwater. According to Sky News, scientists have proposed controversial plans to refreeze the North Pole.

There Is Life at the North Pole

Despite the cold temperatures, harsh conditions, and lack of plant life, there is life at the North Pole, just not much of it. For obvious reasons, humans don’t live at the North Pole, but that doesn’t mean other species don’t thrive in the icy region. The polar bear is the most famous species that call the North Pole home.

While most polar bears live across the Arctic region in places like Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway, they are also known to reside at the North Pole. This adorable species hunt the seals and fish living in the North Pole waters to survive. Other species found at the North Pole include shrimp, crustaceans, and various whale species.

Robert E. Peary Was the First Person To Reach the North Pole

Much like the Human Space Race, there was once fierce competition among many countries to be the first to put a man at the North Pole. While there have been great debates about who reached the North Pole first, most believe US Navy Engineer Robert E. Peary got there first.

It’s widely believed that Robert Peary reached the Geographical North Pole on April 6th, 1909, accompanied by Matthew Henson and a team of Inuit men. However, his claims remain disputed. The men who accompanied Peary on his journey weren’t trained in navigation, so they couldn’t confirm Peary’s navigational work was correct. Therefore, doubts have been raised about whether he led the men to the right place.

There Is a North Pole Marathon

One of the coolest things you should know about the North Pole, especially if you’re a running enthusiast, is that there is an annual North Pole Marathon. The North Pole marathon is run over the traditional 26.2 miles (42 kilometers), but the race is like no other. Runners must complete ten loops of a 2.62-mile (4.22-kilometer) trail over hard snow and thick ice.

There are individual competitions with male and female divisions, as well as a team competition for groups of three or more. As you would expect, getting a place in the North Pole Marathon isn’t easy. For starters, entrants must pay $25,951 (€23,900) for the privilege to run the race.

Longyearbyen Is the Closest Town To the North Pole

If you wanted to visit the closest town to the North Pole, you’d have to stay in Longyearbyen, the world’s northernmost settlement with a population of more than 1,000. Longyearbyen is located between mainland Norway and the North Pole in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard.

Despite being the closest town to the North Pole, Longyearbyen is still over 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) away. Longyearbyen might be a remote destination, but it’s surprisingly easy to reach. You can get to the town by flying into Svalbard Airport from mainland Norway. The town is only 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) from the airport. However, you must watch out for polar bears during your stay.

The Sun Only Rises and Sets Once a Year

The Earth’s axis is tilted by approximately 23 degrees. While this might not seem like a big deal, it dramatically impacts the North and South Poles. At the North and South Poles, the sun only rises and sets once yearly. Furthermore, the sun rarely rises above the horizon in the North Pole.

The North Pole experiences a sunrise during the March equinox and a sunset during the September equinox. This means that once the sun rises, it permanently stays light at the North Pole until it sets again six months later. Then, once the sun has set, the icy region is plunged into darkness for six months.

You Won’t Find Santa at the North Pole

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you won’t find Santa Claus, his workshop, or his elves in the North Pole. Despite rumors, legends, and fairytale stories, Santa Claus and no one else, for that matter, live at the North Pole. That said, we’re not quite sure where your Christmas letters go when you post them.

However, that doesn’t mean you still can’t see Santa Claus in the Arctic Circle. In Rovaniemi, Finland, you’ll find the official home of Santa Claus. Here, you can stroke reindeer, eat sweet treats, ride a dog sled, and meet the man himself. Rovaniemi is 1,623 miles (2,613 kilometers) south of the North Pole.

Russia Planted a Flag Under the North Pole

There’s a good chance you didn’t know that Russia planted a flag on the seabed underneath the North Pole. According to reports, two Russian submarines made the record-breaking dive to the sea bed more than 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) below the North Pole in 2007, leaving a corrosion-resistant titanium Russian flag on the seafloor.

This action was seen as Russia staking its claim to the Arctic Ocean’s billions of dollars worth of oil and gas reserves. Russia argues that the Lomonosov Ridge is an extension of Russian territory, so it should belong to them. However, Denmark claims that the ridge is a natural extension of its autonomous territory of Greenland, so it should fall under their jurisdiction.