New Delhi: Christmas is incomplete without Santa Claus, the bearded legendary figure dressed in a red robe who brings gifts to children during the late evening and overnight hours on Christmas Eve. The gifts are prepared by the elves and Santa Claus travels in sleigh which is pulled by flying reindeer through the air as he visits each home and gives the children gifts.
It is believed that Santa Claus lives in North Pole where the toys are prepared by his elves. While living there, Santa Claus gets letters from children asking for Christmas gifts. On Christmas Eve, he boards his his sleigh with the gift bag and flies around the world, drawn by eight reindeer, stopping at each child’s house and giving gifts.
North Pole: The home of Santa Claus
Most of us have read in the geography book in school that the North Pole is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the axis of rotation of Earth meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to differentiate it from the Magnetic North Pole.
If we go by definition, then the North Pole, the home of Santa Claus is the Earth’s northernmost point which lies predictably to the opposite of the South Pole. All directions at the North Pole point south and all longitudinal lines converge there, hence any degree value can be used to define its longitude.
Santa Claus’ home has no time zone
North Pole does not have any time zone since all lines of longitude converge there. Hence, when someone visits the place, the person uses any time as the local time. In the North Pole, the clockwise is west and the counterclockwise is east. Located at the Northern Hemisphere’s centre, its nearest land is thought to be Kaffeklubben Island and the nearest permanently inhabited place is Alert on Ellesmere Island in Canada, situated 817 km away.
It is freezing cold in the North Pole
The location of the North Pole is in the Arctic Ocean’s middle and is surrounded by waters almost permanently covered with constantly shifting sea ice. During summer, the Sun there remains continuously above the horizon and during the winter, the Sun remains continuously below the horizon.
While the North Pole is warmer than the South Pole, winter temperatures at Greenland’s northernmost weather station can range from about −50 to −13 degree Celsius with the average being around −31 degree Celsius, with the North Pole being slightly colder. The thickness of the North Pole’s sea ice is typically around 2 to 3 m. In recent years, the average thickness of the sea ice has decreased due to global warming and climate change.
The animals and birds at the North Pole
Animals which have been seen at the North Pole include Polar bears, ringed seal and the Arctic foxes. The birds which have been sighted at the North Pole or near it include the northern fulmar, black-legged kittiwake, and snow bunting. Also, fish have been spotted at the North Pole waters.
Did you know?
Now here is an interesting trivia for you. As we have mentioned, the North Pole is considered the residence and workshop of Santa Claus. To honour that, Canada Post, the primary postal operators in Canada has assigned to North Pole the postal code H0H 0H0, referring to the traditional exclamation of Santa Claus, “Ho ho ho!”
This article delves into the fascinating geography and unique characteristics of the North Pole, famously known as Santa Claus’s home. We explore its location, extreme climate, the fascinating wildlife and the interesting trivia surrounding its postal code. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
