Metro — While it might be synonymous with Santa Claus and cold weather, the North Pole is actually much warmer than the South Pole. That’s because the North Pole sits at a lower elevation than the South Pole, and it is located in the middle of an ocean. The South Pole, on the other hand, is located on the continent of Antarctica, which is covered in ice. But Santa fans mulling a trip to the North Pole to visit jolly old St. Nick might want to think otherwise, as temperatures at the North Pole are less than welcoming. Summertime temperatures at the North Pole, for example, hover right at the freezing point. In addition, because of the way Earth rotates, the North Pole experiences just one sunrise and one sunset each year. However, because the sun is always above the horizon in the summer and below the horizon in the winter, the North Pole actually experiences 24 hours of sunlight in summer and zero hours of sunlight in the winter.
While children in North America know the North Pole as home to Santa Claus, that’s a relatively recent addition to the legend of Santa Claus, a story that some historians suggest traces its origins all the way back to the third century. Historians credit famed 19th century caricaturist and editorial cartoonist Thomas Nast with being the first to link Santa Claus and his workshop to the North Pole. However, many Nordic countries continue to say Santa Claus lives in their territories.