nán jí
south pole; antarctic pole
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南极的冰川正在融化。
Nánjí de bīngchuān zhèngzài rónghuà.
The glaciers in Antarctica are melting.
南极是地球上最冷的地方。
Nánjí shì dìqiú shàng zuì lěng de dìfāng.
Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth.
南极有许多企鹅和海豹。
Nánjí yǒu xǔduō qǐ'e hé hǎibào.
There are many penguins and seals in Antarctica.
南极洲 (Nánjízhōu)
Antarctica
南极点 (Nánjídiǎn)
South Pole
北极 (běijí)
Arctic
赤道 (chìdào)
Equator
The Chinese word 南极 (nánjí) for "Antarctica" is composed of two characters: 南 (nán), meaning "south", and 极 (jí), meaning "pole" or "extreme". The term 南极 was first used in the 16th century by the Chinese explorer Zheng He, who led several expeditions to the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Zheng He's voyages brought back knowledge of the existence of lands far to the south, and the term 南极 was used to refer to these distant regions. Over time, the term 南极 came to be specifically associated with the continent of Antarctica, which is located at the South Pole.
