Poverty and the harsh climate, particularly in Russia, play a part, as does the tradition of drinking.

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Smaller, stockier, shaggier, more agile and more even-tempered than their cousins elsewhere, Icelandic horses are perfectly adapted for the harsh climate and the challenging volcanic terrain.

BBC: Iceland on horseback

One is up in the high Meseta of central Spain, at 1, 000m or more, with a very harsh climate and the other is in the mountains of Granada - again in a very harsh environment.

BBC: Last-stand Neanderthals queried

While much of Siberia is harsh of climate, only the north coast could be accurately deemed uninhabitable.

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He said he believed the harsh economic climate had added to the problem.

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Cutting duty on beer while increasing it on spirits punishes the UK spirits industry for its success in this harsh economic climate.

BBC: Budget 2013: Beer down 1p as planned 3p duty rise axed

The new generation of planes are significantly cheaper to run than those currently flying, so a harsh economic climate may in fact encourage airlines to press on with renewing their fleets.

ECONOMIST: Making aircraft

Don't let some high-art, cold-climate music critic harsh your mellow.

NPR: A Paean to the Music of Summer

The harsh reality is that neither candidate may achieve very much on the climate issue, despite Michael Bloomberg's hopes.

BBC: Climate change makes late surge in US elections