This follows on from the Tropical, Subtropical and Temperate Zone coins already issued in the series. The collector's coin with a turquoise-coloured polymer ring shows a reindeer in a subpolar landscape. The coin series is thought-provoking: The Earth's climate zones are in danger. "Thematically, the collector coin series ‘Climate Zones of the Earth’ follows on from the first 5 euro polymer coin ‘Planet Earth’, which depicted a perspective of the Earth from space. The colours of the polymer rings in the series result from the classification of the climate zones in a temperature colour scale: Red for the tropical zone, orange for the subtropical zone, green for the temperate zone and turquoise for the subpolar zone. For the motif on the side of the picture, both the geographical location and the flora and fauna should be at the centre of the design.
Natalie Tekampe, the artist of the ‘Subpolar Zone’ coin's obverse, impressed the jury with her realisation of the subpolar landscape. She visualised the barrenness of the coastal tundra and placed a reindeer characteristic of this zone in the foreground of the coin motif. The erosion gullies of the subarctic mountain ranges and the influence of man are depicted in the background.
The collector's coin consists of two different copper-nickel alloys and a translucent, turquoise-coloured polymer ring. The smooth edge of the coin is adorned with the inscription ‘CLIMATE ZONES OF THE EARTH -’. 2021 sees the conclusion of the ‘Climate Zones of the Earth’ series with the ‘Polar Zone’.
The subpolar zone forms the transition between the temperate and polar climate zones. It is characterised by dry and long winters with persistent sub-zero temperatures from as early as August until May or early June. This is due to the influence of cold Arctic air masses in winter and cool polar air in summer. The average annual temperature is below zero. Even in the summers, which last around three months, the temperature is only just above freezing, with average temperatures of up to +10°C in the warmest months. Despite the low rainfall, the climate is humid due to the permafrost soils, which prevent the ground water from seeping away. The vegetation zone of the tundra, also known as the cold steppe, with a treeless plant population can be assigned to the subpolar climate zone. In the warmer months, grasses, herbs and smaller shrubs grow here. Larger plants cannot grow under these conditions. Only a few animals can survive in these areas, including large migratory mammals such as musk oxen, caribou and reindeer, as well as small mammals such as lemmings and snow hares and predators such as the Arctic fox and stoat.
Climate change is having an extreme impact on the earth. Sea levels are rising, climate zones are shifting and the rhythm of the seasons is also changing. This has a fundamental impact on habitats. Due to the rise in temperature, the tundras are being pushed further and further towards the North and South Poles and their areas are being significantly reduced. There is also the threat of major environmental damage from the extraction of natural resources such as oil and ores, as well as from industrialisation and wind turbines. This could lead to the extinction of the animal and plant species living there in the near future. The ‘Climate Zones of the Earth’ coin series therefore has a very special role to play: it aims to encourage people to take a closer look at the Earth's climate zones and the influence of humans on the environment.
