The world is the greatest mystery that humankind can never understand. It is a masterpiece of nature. It is characterized by varying patterns of weather that range from extreme coldness to extreme hotness. In between is what we call moderate. Or favorable for that matter.

Countries around the equator, for example, are characterized by extensive periods of sun and rain. This is called the tropical climate. For countries above and below the equator, between the tropic of Capricorn and Cancer have four weather patterns in a year namely summer, winter, autumn, and spring.

If you move towards the poles, above the tropic of cancer and Capricorn, these are icy places, characterized by extremely low temperatures. Some of these places drop below freezing point. Can you survive at such a place?

If that’s too cold for you, then we also have places in this same world that are extremely hot. 120°c and above to be precise. And when I say hot, I’m not talking about the beach vacations where you swim in the cold sea water and get out to sunbathe on the sand. 120°c is too hot, beyond the comfort of a human being.

It’s the distribution of nature. The beauty of the world, we cannot deny the course of nature. And now, from South to North, East to West, these are 15 places on the earth that are cold, alongside ten that are extremely hot. Boiling hot!

24 Freezing Cold: North Ice, Greenland

This is one place that too little is known. It was a subject of a British expedition carried out between 1952 and 1954. The research station is located on the inland ice of Greenland, North America. It is at an altitude of 7680 feet above sea level, with the lowest temperature ever recorded being -66.1°c. This is also known to be the lowest temperature ever recorded in North America, on January 9th, 1954. The North Ice is the least populated area in the world.

23 Freezing Cold: Verkhoyansk, Russia

This is another very scarcely populated area of the earth, with barely 3000 residents. And the primary reason is the extreme cold in the area. At -45°c (according to different findings by different researchers), Verkhoyansk is located 404 miles from Yakutsk, and 1500 miles from the south pole in the Sakha Republic, in Russia. It was founded as a Fort in 1638, and it was used as a regional hub for cattle breeding. As of the 2010 census, the area was found to house only 1311 people.

22 Freezing Cold: Snag, Yukon, Canada

While green ice is known for the lowest temperature ever recorded in Northern America, Snag takes the honor for the coldest place in Continental North America. Located in Yukon Territory, Canada, Snag has the lowest temperature recorded at -63°c. At the time this temperature was recorded in February 2nd, 1947, at most ten people were living in that village. During the 2006 census, the village was found to have zero residents, which lead to the closure of the village.

21 Freezing Cold: Vostok, Antarctica

Vostok is a Russian research station founded in 1957. It is located at inland Princess Elizabeth Land in Antarctica. And it lies south of the pole of cold. This place takes the number one spot in the entire universe with the lowest natural temperature ever recorded. It was recorded at -128.6°F on July 21st, 1983. If this place is inhabited and measured, it would probably fill up all the ever recorded cold spots in the world. It is 3488 meters above sea level, with a distinctly high level of oxygen and moisture shortage, which makes it one of the most dangerous places for human habitation.

20 Freezing Cold: Mount McKinley, Alaska

Mount McKinley, also called Denali, has for long been said to be the coldest mountain in the world. It is also the mountain with the highest peak in North America, with a summit elevation of 6190 meters above sea level. It is third on the top prominent peaks and the most isolated behind Aconcagua and Mount Everest. It has an average temperature range of -40°c. It has a dangerous season of winter which is characterized by some severe effects to the area residents.

19 Freezing Cold: Oymyakon, Russia

If there were trophies for cold places, Russia would probably have garnered a lot of them. Oymyakon holds the record for coldest place on earth with human habitation – negative 90 degree Fahrenheit. The record was taken in the first week of February 1933. This is one of the mysterious places that enjoy a 21 hour day in June and only three hours a day in December. This is one place that experiences the Siberian winter, as it is well known around the world.

18 Freezing Cold: Rogers Pass, Montana

Rogers Pass is famed as having the lowest temperatures in the United States and outside Alaska. It has an altitude of 1710 meters above sea level, with the lowest temperature ever recorded being -57°c, in 1954. Located in Montana, and traversed by the Montana Highway 200, Rogers Pass is praised for being the best route between Great Falls and Missoula cities. It is located adjacent to the Helena National Forest. Good news is that its summers are relatively hot – at 82 in July.

17 Freezing Cold: Yakutsk, Russia

Back to Russia, in Yakutsk, the number one coldest cities in the world during winter. The world's lowest temperature outside the South Pole was taken a short distance from this city, in the basin of River Yana. The temperatures drop below freezing point in winter during September and don't climb back up until may. On average, the highest temperature recorded in January is -35°c, the lowest is -47°c. It's a highly comfortable place with several museums, theatres, and even a zoo.

16 Freezing Cold: Eismitte, Greenland

Eismitte was an arctic expedition site in the 1930s located in interior Greenland. Eismitte is a Germany word that means Middle of the Ice. The expedition took place in July 1930 and August 1931, during which a well-known Germany scientist, Alfred Wegener lost his life. Eismitte is said to be among the cold locations in the northern hemisphere, with the lowest temperature recording reading -47.2°c. While Alfred and one of his team members lost their lives during the expedition, a third member lost his toes through amputation, without aesthetics. You know what that means.

15 Freezing Cold: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar, pronounced as Ulan Bator is the capital of Mongolia, located in the north at an altitude of 1300 meters above sea level. It is relatively a rainy place, not only because of its location to the north, but also because of its proximity to the Khentii Mountains in the north, and Bogd Khan Mountain in the south. It’s the world’s coldest capital during winter, recording the lowest temperatures at -24.5°c. The temperature quickly drops to below -35°c during the night.

14 Freezing Cold: Stanley, Idaho

Stanley is a city in the Custer County, in Idaho, United States. It is one of the coldest places in the world characterized by a small population of fewer than 100 people. During the 2010 census, the city was habited by 63 people. It had dropped from 100 in 2000. Stanley experiences subarctic weather that results in frigid winters and hot summers. Frosts usually occur during the year. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Stanley was -17.5°c.

13 Freezing Cold: Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station

The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station stands at an elevation of 2835 meters on Antarctica’s ice sheet. The ice’s thickness at the station’s location is 2700 meters. Located 850 miles from the McMurdo station, the Amundsen-Scott has a temperature recording ranging from -13.6°c to -82.8°c through the year. Its monthly average temperature range from -28°c in December, too -60°c in July. The annual average is minimum at -49°c. The station is drifting with the almost featureless ice sheet at approximately 33feet each year.

12 Freezing Cold: Eureka, Canada

Eureka is a research station in Canada that has been in operation since 1947. It has ever since been used as a weather station, with eight rotating staff. There are no permanent habitats in this place. Who would want to reside in an area that will run for five months without the sign of sun anyway? However, at the same time during October to February, there are no rains in Eureka. The low temperatures averaging at -1.8°F, and the dry winter seasons make this a polar desert.

11 Freezing Cold: Fort Selkirk, Canada

The Fort Selkirk is a former trading post that was abandoned in the 1950s due to several factors, among them, being the extremely low temperatures. The lowest temperatures recorded at this place is -74°F. Located at the conflux of Pelly and Yukon rivers in Yukon, Fort Selkirk is now a renowned historical site jointly owned by the Selkirk and Yukon government under the tourism and culture departments. Another reason for the closure of this highly depended upon supply point was the construction of the Klondike highway that bypassed it, thus killing the Yukon River traffic.

10 Boiling Hot: Bandar Mahshahr, Iran

Bandar Mahshahr, an Iranian city, was recorded the second highest heat index on the earth in 2015. It registered a heat index of 74 degrees in July, which was as a result of combined air temperature, and relative humidity. The heat index is the measure of heat felt on the skin, which combines air temperature and humidity. The highest recorded average temperature in Bandar Mahshahr was 51 degrees. The Death Valley in California, USA is the place with the highest heat index ever recorded.

9 Boiling Hot: Volcano Pacaya, Guatemala

Air temperatures in Guatemalan highlands are not as high as other boiling-hot spots. But if you mess and slide your feet and enter the Volcano Pacaya, the surface temperatures will scorch you. The regularly flowing lava that pours on the sides of Pacaya can rise to highs that will burn any stick you try to stick into the lava, instantly. Your sturdy hiking boots will start melting down immediately after stepping on the red stuff. Volcano Pacaya is one of Guatemala’s major tourist attraction sites.

8 Boiling Hot: Death Valley, California

Are you willing to test your heat resistance level? You might want to visit the Death Valley national park in Death Valley, California. Death Valley is not just another ironic name to scare you off this place; the place has a recorded temperature of 56.7°c taken on July 10th, 1913. The location is surrounded by a desert that maintains the furnace-hot temperatures, and mountains that keep it extremely dry. The average temperatures of Death Valley are above 45°c in July and August.

7 Boiling Hot: Dallol, Ethiopia

Dallol, Ethiopia. A wonderful place characterized by salt formations, gas geysers, and acidic hot springs. That's the beauty, here's a sad fact; Dallol is ranked the world's hottest place habited by humans. It is also rated the lowest sub-aerial volcano that dips 114 meters below the sea level. Dallol is also headed to be the hottest places on earth ranging at 114°c during hot summers. The daily temperature at this place averages 41°c, recorded in the 1960s. To get here, you'll either use a chopper or a four-wheel-drive off-road vehicle.

6 Boiling Hot: Lut Desert, Iran

Some of these places are way too remote, and Lut is one of those. It is even not possible to have a weather station at such places, but thanks to the advanced technology, we can use satellite to get the approximation of the highs and lows of the area. Analyzing some hellholes that are believed to be extremely hot using satellite data, the University of Montana found that Lut Desert was always on top of the chat. One of the recordings read 70.7°c on the sand. Good luck walking barefooted in Lut Desert.

5 Boiling Hot: Wadi Halfa, Sudan

The Wadi Halfa city is located at the shores of Lake Nubia in the Lake Nasser, the section that belongs to Sudan. Other than the high index heat, Wadi Halfa is also known for its violent and oppressive sandstorms known as a haboob. During summers you can easily see the thermometer go beyond the 104°F mark. June is the hottest month in Wadi Halfa. It clocked 127°F at one time in April 1967. There's virtually no rain during the year.