Polar – The regions of the far North and south

The regions are dominated by the earth's polar ice caps, the northern one resting on the Arctic Ocean and the southern one on the continent of Antarctica. 

To remember the meaning of the term Polar, use the following mnemonic:

The polar (polar) bear flew from the North Pole to the South Pole and found there were no polar bears on the other side of the world. She thought this was a bit strange, considering there was a sign saying 'polar area' at each end of the world.

Polar regions are the coldest and most inhospitable on Earth, but still a surprising range of wildlife manages to survive. Resident creatures of the Northern polar region include polar bears, arctic foxes and snowy owls. In the southern polar region, there are penguins, and both regions have species of seal. Only six of the world's thirty-five species of seal live in Antarctica, but those six make up the vast majority of all seals.

Very short-rooted plants such as lichens and mosses survive in northern and southern polar regions.