Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

one revolution around the North Pole

every 10 years.

Climate

All Arctic waters are cold, and the climate

in the Arctic regions is among the

harshest in the world. The coldest temperatures

can drop to .85° F (.65° C),

especially at the end of the long Arctic

winter.

Economy

Because of the ice in the Arctic, there are

very few fish in the main body of the

ocean. However, some of its surrounding

seas—the Barents, Greenland, and

Bering seas—are rich fishing grounds.

Whale hunting, or whaling, was once a

major Arctic industry, but governments

now limit it to protect the whales.

People still hunt seals in some areas.

Exploration

The Dutch and the English became the

leaders in Arctic exploration in the early

1500s. They were seeking a route, called

the Northeast Passage, across the Arctic

to the Far East. A Swedish explorer

finally made the trip in 1878–79. He

sailed from Norway, through the Russian

side of the Arctic Ocean, and out

into the Pacific. In the 1880s and 1890s

Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian explorer,

made more important explorations of

the Arctic Ocean.

Later explorers used dog sleds to try to

get across the ice to the North Pole. The

U.S. explorers Robert E. Peary and Matthew

Henson claimed to be the first to

reach the North Pole, in 1909.

Environmental Issues

Hunting in the Arctic has endangered

several types of animals, including

whales and walruses. Other economic

activities are also cause for concern. Oil

tankers that sail through the Arctic

waters are threatened by ice. If damaged,

they can release tons of oil into the

ocean waters.

A walrus sits on top of an iceberg in the

Arctic Ocean.

At the North

Pole the sun

does not rise

above the

horizon for six

months of the

year. For the

rest of the

year the sun

never sets.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Arctic Ocean 173

 

Global warming may be the most serious

environmental problem for the Arctic

Ocean. Global warming is a slow rise in

Earth’s temperature that may be caused

by pollution. Some scientists warn that

this warming could cause the Arctic pack

ice to melt. The levels of oceans around

the world would then rise, and many

coastlines would disappear.

#More to explore

GlobalWarming • Ocean • Polar

Exploration

Ares

In ancient Greek mythology Ares was

the god of war. He was one of the 12

major gods believed to live on Mount

Olympus. His bird was the vulture, and

his animal was the dog. Ares is associated

with Mars, the god of war in

ancient Roman mythology.

Ares was the son of Zeus, the chief god,

and his wife, Hera. Ares was said to have

loved Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

Ares and Aphrodite had several children.

Even though Ares was one of the main

Greek gods, people did not worship him

much. The ancient Greeks thought Ares

was cruel. They believed that he enjoyed

sending war and disease to humans.

Unlike Ares, Mars was a popular and

important god. The Romans thought of

Mars as a powerful nature god, as well as

the god of war. They prayed to him to

protect their crops and farm animals.

The month of March was named after

Mars because it was the time when

farmers began to plant their crops. Mars,

the fourth planet from the sun, was also

named after him.

#More to explore

Aphrodite • Mythology

174 Ares BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Argentina

The country of Argentina takes up most

of the southern part of South America.

Its name is a Spanish word meaning

“Land of Silver,” after the silver found

there by Spanish explorers. The capital is

Buenos Aires.

Geography

Argentina is bordered by Chile, Bolivia,

Paraguay, Brazil, and Uruguay. The

Atlantic Ocean lies to the east.

Argentina has four major regions: the

Andes, the North, the Pampas, and Patagonia.

The Andes Mountains run along

the western edge of the country. Their

highest peak is Mount Aconcagua, at

22,831 feet (6,959 meters). The North

includes the Gran Chaco, an area of dry

lowlands, and Mesopotamia, an area

between the Parana and Uruguay rivers.

The central Pampas are grasslands. Patagonia

is a cold, dry, windy region in the

south.

Tierra del Fuego is a group of islands off

the southern tip of the continent.

Argentina shares the islands with Chile.

Most of Argentina has a mild climate

with cool, damp winters. The northeastern

areas get the most rain.

Plants and Animals

Argentina’s plants vary widely from

region to region. There are forests in the

Andes, thorny trees and cactuses in the

Parts of Patagonia are cold enough to be

covered by glaciers. Glaciers are masses of

moving ice.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Argentina 175

 

Gran Chaco, and rain forests in Mesopotamia.

In the Pampas there are grasses

in the humid section and scrub forests

in the dry section. Patagonia has zones

of broadleaf forests, steppe, and desert.

Argentina also has a wide variety of

wildlife. In the northwest live guanacos,

llamas, and alpacas. Deer, monkeys,

jaguars, and tapirs live in Gran Chaco

and Mesopotamia. Herds of cattle and

horses roam the Pampas. Parrots and

canaries live in the southern tip of the

country.

People

Most Argentines live in cities, especially

Buenos Aires. Most of the population

has European roots. About 10 percent of