North Pole

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Map centered on the North Pole, showing the surrounding Arctic Ocean and bordering landmasses including northern North America, Greenland, Europe, and northern Asia. Major seas, islands, and countries such as Russia, Canada, Norway, and Greenland are labeled, with the North Pole marked near the center. An inset in the upper left corner provides the global context of the Arctic region.

Five members of Robert Peary's 1909 North Pole expedition stand on snow, raising their arms, with a mound of ice and a U.S. flag behind them.

Learn about the different types of North poles on Earth: the geographic North Pole, the magnetic North Pole, and the geomagnetic North Pole

Airplane routes over the North Pole, including the one flown by Richard E. Byrd in 1926.

Map of the Arctic region showing major historical exploration routes, with color-coded lines tracing the Northwest Passage, Northeast Passage, and notable expeditions such as those by Robert Peary, Fridtjof Nansen, Ralph Plaisted, Wally Herbert, Sibiryakov, Arktika, and Sibir. The map highlights paths across the Arctic Ocean and surrounding landmasses, connecting locations in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia, and northern Europe.

Map of the Arctic region showing the decline in minimum sea ice extent from 1980 to 2020. The area covered by sea ice in 1980 is outlined in white, while the much smaller area remaining in 2020 is shaded in purple, illustrating significant sea ice loss over four decades around the North Pole and Arctic Ocean.

North Pole: References & Edit History

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

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Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Bacterial diversity in snow on North Pole ice floes.	Grace Young	Jul 18, 2026
	Add new Web site: University of Cambridge - Does the North Pole still matter?	Grace Young	Dec 12, 2025
	Add new Web site: CNN Science - Earths magnetic north pole is on the move, and scientists just updated its position.	Yamini Chauhan	May 19, 2025
	Add new Web site: LSU Law Digital Commons - Who Should Own the North Pole?	Gloria Lotha	Nov 19, 2024
	Added a mention of the British explorer Robert Swan and a cross-reference to Britannica's article “Robert Swan.”	Brian Duignan	Mar 08, 2024
	Map added.	Michele Metych	Jun 08, 2023
	Add new Web site: NOAA National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service - Five Things You Didn't Know About the North Pole.	Gloria Lotha	Apr 27, 2023
	Add new Web site: Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Website - The North Pole.	Gloria Lotha	Sep 06, 2022
	Add new Web site: Easy Science for Kids - North Pole Facts for Kids.	Gloria Lotha	Sep 07, 2018
	Add new Web site: PBS LearningMedia - Henson and Peary.	Emily Rodriguez	Feb 20, 2017
	Add new Web site: National Geographic Society - North Pole.	Emily Rodriguez	Jul 05, 2016
	Add new Web site: LiveScience - The North Pole: Location, Weather, Exploration � and Santa.	Emily Rodriguez	Jul 05, 2016
	Added video about the North Pole.	Erik Gregersen	Dec 03, 2015
	Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - Science - Why Does The North Pole Move?	Shiveta Singh	Dec 24, 2008
	Added new Web site: All Things Arctic - The North Pole.	Veenu Setia	May 01, 2008
	Media added.	Michael Ray	Mar 07, 2008
	Article revised.	The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica	Mar 25, 2004
	Article added to new online database.	The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica	Jul 20, 1998