First, let's deal with the question "Why is it cold in winter?". Our planet, as you know, revolves around the Sun, and many will be right, linking the change of seasons and this movement of the Earth. That's just half the truth. The second half of it lies in the fact that the rotation of the Earth around its axis also affects the change of seasons.

As a result, these two rotations give the following result: the planet is not only moving away from the Sun or approaching it, but also "exposing its sides" to the sun's rays at different angles. At the equator, for example, the angle of incidence of the sun's rays is always the same, and therefore it is always warm and light there. But closer to the poles and the angle is different and the seasons change regularly there.

In addition, with the approach of winter, the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere decreases, which did not allow heat to "leave", and the falling snow reflects most of the sun's rays, preventing terrestrial objects from absorbing them and heating up.

North and South Poles

Many people will say that the poles are the coldest places on the planet. And they will be right and wrong at the same time. And yet, oddly enough, the North Pole is warmer than the South. We explain why.

You need to start with how the poles differ in addition to their geographical location. The Arctic - the North Pole - is an ice-covered expanse of the Arctic Ocean. With the onset of summer in the northern hemisphere of our planet, this ice partially melts. In addition, an important role in temperature regime warm currents also play in the region, the Gulf Stream, for example. In general, the average temperature in the Arctic in winter is about -34°C, and in summer it is even warmer.

Things are quite different on the other side of the planet. Antarctica is not just the southernmost continent. It is also one and a half times the area more Europe and in two - Australia, yes, in addition to everything, it is covered with a non-melting ice shell. Yes and especially warm currents does not pass by.

In geography lessons, they always tell that it is always colder on the mainland than in the sea. Add to this the eternal ice sheet, which reflects almost 95% sunlight, the absence of warm currents and here is the complete picture. According to scientists, the average temperature southern mainland is -49°C.

Where is the coldest

If we take up the ranking of the coldest places on our planet, the picture is as follows: Antarctica will be the undisputed leader, followed by the coldest places in the Northern Hemisphere. Here are the top five of these regions.

Antarctica. Station "Vostok", the area of ​​the South Magnetic Pole of the Earth.

The research station "Vostok-1" was founded on December 16, 1957 by the outstanding Soviet scientist and polar explorer V.S. Sidorov, who later for a long time was the head of the station.

The lowest temperature was recorded at the station on July 21, 1983 and was -89.2 degrees Celsius. And the warmest day for the entire time of the station's operation remains the day of its foundation - December 16, 1957. Then the thermometer showed -13.6°C.

Yakutsk

The capital of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), a port on the Lena River. The city was founded by a detachment of the Yenisei centurion P. Beketov in 1632. The largest city in terms of population in the north-east of Russia. Yakutsk is considered the coldest city on earth. Medium annual temperature here +10°С. average temperature January is -41°С. And the absolute minimum in the history of meteorological observations is -64°C. Is it true, last time such frosts were recorded already in 1946.

Verkhoyansk

Verkhoyansk is a settlement in Yakutia, located within the Northern polar circle. Historically, Verkhoyansk was a place of exile for political prisoners. The first participant sent to Verkhoyansk Polish uprising poet Pujitsky. On January 15, 1885, the exiled S. Kovalik registered the minimum air temperature in the entire history of observations, -67.1 ° C, using the equipment of a meteorological station. In 2005, a memorial plaque was unveiled in honor of the 120th anniversary of the registration of the absolute minimum temperature in the northern hemisphere.

Oymyakon

A village in the Oymyakonsky ulus (district - ed. note) of Yakutia, on the left bank of the Indigirka River. In the Sakha language, it means "non-freezing water", and is associated with a warm spring in the permafrost. On January 26, 1926, a temperature of -71.2°C was recorded here. Such temperatures are associated with the location of the city - in a bowl between the mountains, where cold air collects. Verkhoyansk and Oymyakon still claim to be the cold pole of the Northern Hemisphere. Today the palm is given to Verkhoyansk.

Greenland

Not only Russia can boast of regions with very low temperatures. Denmark, oddly enough - too. After all, it is this state that owns Greenland - the largest island in the world, located in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. The area of ​​Greenland is over 2 million square kilometers. The reserves of ice are so impressive that if they melt, the level of the world ocean will rise not much, not a little - by 7 meters. And if we talk about the temperature regime on the island, then in the center of Greenland the average temperature in February does not rise above -47 ° C.

Despite such harsh conditions, people live even in the coldest places on our planet. And they definitely deserve a lot of respect. After all, not everyone is able to live and work in such conditions. Perhaps there are thrill-seekers who are eager to "feel" severe frosts. Be that as it may, nature, according to apt observation, does not have bad weather.

Incredible Facts

Mother nature made sure that we feel quite comfortable on this planet, but there are places where harsh natural conditions take over human endurance. You may not want to go there as a tourist, but perhaps learning about these places, you can appreciate the charm of your native places more.


The coldest places in the world

Vostok Station, Antarctica


Located near the south geomagnetic pole, and at an altitude of about 3500 m above sea level, the Russian research station Vostok is in constant cold. In July 1983, the lowest temperature on earth was recorded here, namely -89.2 ° C. Near Vostok station is Lake Vostok - the largest lake on the planet, buried under 4 km of ice, which Russian scientists recently drilled.

Eureka, Canada


The Eureka Research Base in the north of Ellesmere Island in Canada is often referred to as the coldest inhabited place in the world. It is located on the 80th parallel and was established as a weather station in 1947. The average annual temperature here is around -20°C. In winter it drops to -40°C.

Oymyakon, Russia


About 350 km south of the Arctic Circle, Oymyakon, in Yakutia, plunged into an all-time cold spell in 1926 when temperatures dropped to -71.2°C, the lowest temperature in the northern hemisphere. Oymyakon is a place of extremes. In winter, the day lasts about 3 hours, and in summer the sun can shine for 21 hours.

McKinley, USA


Denali or Mount McKinley is the highest peak in North America and has long been considered the most cold mountain on the ground. The air temperature here drops to -40°C. To climb the 6194 meter peak of Alaska, you need to be a climber, but you can walk a little more warm places next to, in national park Denali.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia


Located in the Mongolian steppe, about 1300 meters above sea level, Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital in the world. In January, the temperature rarely rises above -16 ° C, and the winters themselves are quite long and harsh.

The hottest places in the world

Deshte Lut Desert, Iran


In 2005, a NASA satellite recorded the highest surface temperature ever recorded, exceeding the 70-degree barrier. Combined with the heat, the Deshte Lut Desert rivals Chile's Atacama Desert for the title of the driest place on Earth, and across the surface of central Deshte Lut, no creature, including bacteria, will survive. This desert is proud of its unique natural phenomena, including sand dunes up to 500 m high due to strong winds.

Al Azizia, Libya


40 km south of Tripoli is the city of Al-Aziziyah, where the highest temperature of 57.8°C was recorded in September 1922. The city is located just an hour from mediterranean sea where you can cool off from the unbearable heat.

Death Valley, California, USA


Located 86 m below sea level, the famous strip of the Mojave Desert can rightfully be called Death Valley. A long and thin cavity traps hot air, which leads to crazy heat. Death Valley holds the record for high temperature in the western hemisphere. So in 1913, a temperature of 56.7 °C was recorded here. Midsummer averages 47°C and is the driest place in the US.

Dallol, Ethiopia


In Dallol, located in the Afar Basin, Africa plunges to a depth of 116 m below sea level, and the temperature begins to go off scale. Dallol has the highest mean annual temperature in the world, namely 34.4°C. If that's not hot enough for you, then you can visit the Dallol volcano located nearby.

Bangkok, Thailand


Bangkok has been named the world's hottest city by the World Meteorological Organization, with an average annual temperature of 28°C. The months from March to May are the hottest, when the air temperature reaches 34°C with 90 percent humidity.

Climatic and weather conditions on our planet are very diverse. When a blizzard rages at one end, warm tropical rain falls somewhere or a scorching sun shines. Do you know where the coldest place on earth is? If you ever decide to take up extreme tourism or just want to expand your horizons, be sure to check out this kind of information.

Unofficial record holder

The coldest place on Earth is located in Antarctica, in the so-called ice dome. The thickness of this unique block of ice is approximately 2.5 kilometers, which represents the largest reserves of frozen water. This area is absolutely uninhabited, and research is not conducted on its territory. It is generally accepted that temperatures down to minus 100 degrees Celsius can be recorded here, but there is no official confirmation of this information.

Recognized leader

Since the information described above is not confirmed by reliable sources and studies, it is generally accepted that the coldest place on Earth is located on the territory of the Vostok polar station in Antarctica. It was here that the official minimum was recorded, amounting to - 89.2 degrees Celsius (the record was set in 1983, according to some unspoken sources, after 14 years, the temperature dropped another two degrees lower).

An explanation for this phenomenon could be natural features local places:

  • the thickness of the ice located under the station is approximately 3.5 kilometers (height above sea level);
  • significant distance from the ocean;
  • long period of polar night.

Negative temperatures are commonplace for the area where the station is located, as a rule, even in summer the air does not warm up above minus 21 degrees.

The coldest inhabited cities

Where is the coldest place on Earth located? Do not be surprised at this question, some people feel comfortable even in the most severe climatic conditions. The official data is as follows: the pole of cold is in Russian Federation on the territory of Siberia. The leading positions in terms of the most extreme temperature indicators here are held by two settlements: Oymyakon and the city of Verkhoyansk.

A little more than a thousand people live in modern Verkhoyansk, this city is relatively young, located within the Arctic Circle, the first mention of it dates back to the end of the 18th century. At that time, convicts who violated the law or opposed state power. The air temperature in winter in this region, according to average indicators, is approximately minus 46 degrees. Record figures were noted in 1885 (-67.8)

An even more difficult weather situation takes place in Oymyakon, located on the banks of the small river Indigirka. About 500 people live on its territory, who annually have to endure truly severe cold. According to long-term meteorological observations, winter temperatures in this area are much lower than in neighboring Verkhoyansk. The absolute minimum was recorded in 1926 and amounted to -71.2 degrees.

Answering the question, where is the coldest place on earth, you have to choose between these two settlements.

The coldest populous city

The title of "The Coldest Place on Planet Earth" can also be claimed by the large Russian city of Yakutsk, the center of the Republic of Sakha. The settlement was founded in 1632, and today the number of its inhabitants has reached 250 thousand people. Citizens easily endure frosts and are not afraid of even the most severe cold, as their bodies have adapted to difficult weather conditions. Such a bold statement can be confirmed by the dry numbers of official statistics:


Kingdom of cold outside of Russia

When looking for an answer to the question of where the coldest place on earth is located, you can most often hear about various residential and non-residential areas on the territory of the Russian Federation, however, outside our country there are also sections of the kingdom of cold and ice. Of course, such a place can be considered the island of Greenland. The average temperature for certain heights in this area is minus 47 degrees (the data are recorded in the center of the island, they are average for February).

How do people live in extreme conditions?

Who is he, a resident of the coldest place on earth? Of course, even in the most northern latitudes there are representatives of the world of flora and fauna, but we will talk about whether ordinary people can live in such an area.

At the East station all year round polar scientists live, in the continental poles of cold, hundreds of the most ordinary people who challenged the elements, frost and cold. What are the challenges faced by local residents? The biggest problems of northern life are usually associated with:


Being outside at very low temperatures is quite difficult, if not impossible. So, at minus 70 degrees, the liquid in the eyes of a person freezes, which means that for carrying out scientific research special outfit required. Without such devices, even with milder indicators, you can be on the street for no more than a quarter of an hour, and sometimes even 10 minutes. In addition, in conditions of extremely low temperatures, it is not recommended to try to run, breathe often and deeply. Experts advise paying considerable attention to shoes, for example, platform models with the thickest soles are in high demand in this case.

In winter, getting ready for work in the morning, people wait with horror for the moment they go outside. It seems that colder places than the city outside the window does not exist. In fact, this is far from being the case, and somewhere in currently really frosty. Of course, everything is known in comparison, and the feeling of heat and cold is quite different for everyone, because someone puts on all warm clothes at -10 degrees, and someone walks in a thin leather jacket. But there are real cold poles on the planet, where no one will remain indifferent to the weather.

Where is the coldest place on the planet?

The most cold spot on earth has the name "pole". The pole is a specific area of ​​the earth where it was seen lowest temperature. Even entire areas where the minimum temperature indicators were recorded can be considered cold poles. At the moment, there are several such points on our planet.

It can be unequivocally said that now there are two regions that are recognized as the coldest. Everyone knows their names: these are the South and North Poles.

North Pole

In the Northern Hemisphere, these points are in settlements. The lowest rate is achieved in the city of Verkhoyansk, which is located in Russia, the Republic of Yakutia. The record temperature here dropped to -67.8 degrees, it was recorded at the end of the 19th century.

The second cold pole is the village of Oymyakon. It is also located in Yakutia. The lowest temperature in Oymyakon was -67.7 degrees.

The most interesting thing is that these settlements periodically try to challenge which of them truly deserves the status North Pole. But if we ignore the disputes, then we must admit that these are really the coldest cities in the world.

South Pole

Now it's time to talk about here, too, there are champions. One of them - Russian station called "Vostok", which is located in Antarctica. It's practically The location of this station determines a lot. Here the temperature sometimes drops to -89.2 degrees. It is not surprising that this is the coldest point on Earth, because the thickness of the ice under the station is 3700 meters. However, in last years an even more striking number was found, which is -92 degrees.

Rating of the coldest places

In addition to the cold poles, there are quite a few regions with a harsh climate. There is far from one coldest point on Earth, so you can not deprive other objects of attention. To clarify this issue, a list of the TOP 10 coldest places on Earth was compiled. His results showed the following:

  1. Plateau Station (East Antarctica).
  2. Station "Vostok" (Antarctica).
  3. Verkhoyansk (Russia).
  4. Oymyakon (Russia).
  5. Northeys (Greenland).
  6. Eismitte (Greenland).
  7. Prospect Creek (Alaska).
  8. Fort Selkirk (Canada).
  9. Roger Pass (USA).
  10. Snow (Canada).

Where on the planet is it really hot?

People are always interested in where the coldest and hottest places on Earth are. This interest does not always come only from curiosity, many people want to visit these places, because such a trip will not only be educational, but will also leave impressions for a lifetime. However, not everyone will be able to withstand such a trip, because in some places the conditions are really extreme. already considered, now it is worth paying attention to their opposites.

Of course, Africa is the leader in the number of hot days and high temperatures. There are several places to highlight here. The first of these is the city of Kebili, located in Tunisia. It is really hard to be here, the mercury column can rise to a serious mark - 55 degrees of heat. This is one of the highest figures recorded on the African continent.

The second record holder is the city of Timbuktu. This small locality located in the Sahara. It originated at the crossroads of major trade routes. The town is also of great cultural interest. Now in Timbuktu there is a huge collection of ancient manuscripts and manuscripts. As for the temperature, here it often reaches 55 degrees. locals hardly escape from the heat, dunes can often be seen on the streets, and sandstorms often begin.

Where is the hottest place on the planet?

Of course, not everyone can live in Africa; conditions on its territory are sometimes very extreme. However, there is a place that can break the records of Kebili and Timbuktu. This is a desert called Deshte Lut, located in Iran. Temperature measurements here do not take place constantly, since this is not always possible. In 2005, one of the satellites here recorded the absolute temperature maximum on our planet. It was 70.7 degrees of heat.

The coldest and hottest country

Now that we already know where the hottest and coldest point on Earth is located, it's worth talking about larger objects, such as countries.

It is considered to be Qatar. This state is located in Southwest Asia. It boasts not only temperature records, but also its wealth. The most interesting thing is that the state system has been preserved here since time immemorial, Qatar still has an absolute monarchy.

The country is really very hot, in winter the temperature is usually around 28 degrees, and in summer - about 40 degrees of heat. When taking into account the acute shortage of water, sometimes the situation here is not the most positive.

most cold country world recognized Greenland. This state can really amaze with its climate, at the height of summer the temperature often stays at 0 degrees and very rarely reaches the threshold of +10.

As for winter, here it is really harsh. The average January temperature in some areas is -27°C.