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Compare the Poles: Physical Features

Antarctica
The Arctic

antarctica physical

arctic

The Antarctic is a continent
surrounded by ocean
The Arctic is an ocean
surrounded by continents
Maximum sea ice extent: 8 million square miles
Maximum sea ice extent: 7 million square miles
The area is 6 million square miles
The area is 5.4 million square miles
Total coastline: 18,000 miles
Total coastline: 25,000 miles
The sea ice accumulates and recedes annually and more than doubles the size of the continent
Sea ice accumulates over several years
into multiyear ice