highlatitude

High latitude refers to the parts of Earth located near the poles, usually taken to mean latitudes above 60° in either hemisphere. The term is used in geography and climate science to distinguish these areas from mid‑latitude and low‑latitude regions. There is no single formal boundary, but 60° is a common reference point.

Geographically, the high‑latitude zone includes the Arctic region of the Northern Hemisphere (above 60°N, spanning parts of North America, Greenland, northern Europe, and northern Asia) and the Antarctic region (above 60°S, centered on the continent of Antarctica and its surrounding Southern Ocean).

Climate in high latitudes is cold and variable. Winters are long and dark, summers brief and cool. Areas north of the Arctic Circle experience polar night and midnight sun at times; the Antarctic winter is dark and extremely cold. Precipitation is often low, though some coastal areas are relatively wetter; many places are polar deserts with persistent snow and ice.

Ecology is adapted to extreme conditions. Vegetation is limited to tundra and sparse shrubs; permafrost is common inland. Wildlife includes polar bears, Arctic seals, and whales in the Arctic; penguins, seals, and seabirds in Antarctica. Food webs rely on seasonal productivity of marine ecosystems.

Human presence is limited but persistent: indigenous communities in the Arctic, scientific research stations in Antarctica, and some extractive activities in adjacent regions. Climate change is impacting high‑latitude regions with accelerated warming, shrinking sea ice, permafrost thaw, and shifts in ecological communities.

In scholarly use, high latitude describes climatic and environmental patterns characteristic of polar and subpolar zones, helping separate these processes from mid‑ and low‑latitude systems.