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Introduction
6
The Beginning of Polar Discovery
T
he poles are the coldest places on Earth. Their brilliant
whiteness reflects the light of the Sun, so they never
get warm. The lowest temperature ever recorded is –128°F
(– 89°C) in Antarctica. At that temperature a cup of boiling
water thrown into the air freezes instantly. The poles are also
very windy. The cold wind and endless expanse of ice make
the
polar regions
very tough places in which to live.
Arctic People
Because of the
climate
of the polar regions and the lack of
food, it was thought that no one could live there. In fact
about 20,000 years ago people migrated north from North
America and Eurasia into the Arctic. They would go north
in the warmer summer months to hunt and fish, and in
the winter head back south again.
T
his mask was made
2,500 years ago by the
first true Arctic people.
They were called the
Dorset Culture.
I
nuit can travel in
summer by day or
night, as the sun
never sets.