Five Coldest Countries in the World

1. Greenland

To start things off, we have the island with the lowest temperature in the world. Despite its misleading name, Greenland’s bitter cold temperatures evoke anything but visions of sunny pastures and verdant valleys. Eighty percent of the world’s largest island is blanketed in a 4-kilometer thick ice sheet. 

So, it comes as no great surprise that the average yearly temperature is an icy 1.076 °F (-17.18 °C), making it the coldest place on Earth.

While Greenland is a fully autonomous region and the world’s largest island, it remains a part of Denmark. Hence, we can’t call Greenland the coldest country in the world.

2. Canada

The coldest country in the world is Canada (in terms of average temperature). The lowest temperature ever recorded was -81.4 °F (-63 °C) in the Yukon Territory in 1947. Fortunately, the average sits at 20.55 °F (-6.36 °C), which seems positively toasty compared to that record low of -17.18 °C. 

3. Russia

In addition to claiming the #3 spot for the lowest yearly average temperature of 22.71 °F (-5.16 °C), Russia also holds the title for the top three lowest temperatures ever recorded outside Antarctica.

In 1892, the temperature in Verkhoyansk plummeted to -90 °F (-67.8 °C) on February 5 and February 7. Then, on February 6, 1933, Russia went for the triple-play when the temperatures hit -90 °F once again, this time in Oymyakon.

4. Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, is called the Coldest National Capital, thanks to bone-chilling winters that can hit -40 °F/°C. 

Because Mongolian summers soar to a sweltering 93 °F (33.9 °C), the yearly temperatures only average to a comparatively comfortable, but ultimately misleading, 33.2 °F (0.67 °C). 

5. Norway

Joining the other chilly nations along the Arctic Circle, Norway ranks fifth with an average yearly temperature of 35.20 °F (1.78 °C). Unlike Mongolia’s steamy summer months, Norway’s summers average a sweater-worthy 65 °F (18.3 °C).