To visit the south pole, you will need to travel across Antarctica. Here is an overview of the amazing land known as Antarctica.
An Overview of Antarctica
Antarctica is one of the two coldest places on Earth. The other, of course, is the Arctic at the top of the planet. Here are some interesting tidbits to consider regarding Antarctica.
1. Antarctica is one and a half times the size of the United States.
2. The temperature in Antarctica almost always remains below freezing.
3. Antarctica holds roughly one third of all the fresh water on Earth.
4. No trees grow on Antarctica.
5. Antarctica was warm for much of the history of Earth.
6. The continent of Antarctica is buried under 1 mile of snow and ice.
7. At its deepest point, the ice is over 3 miles thick.
8. The largest animal living on Antarctica is a midge, which is less than a half inch long.
9. The sea around Antarctica, however, is full of living creatures.
10. Antarctica is so cold, nothing can rot.
11. In 1983, the lowest temperature every recorded was on Antarctica: -129 degrees Fahrenheit.
12. Antarctica is the driest continent on Earth. It receives less than 2 inches of rain a year.
13. It rarely snows in Antarctica. Instead, wind storms blow snow off the surface of the ice which creates the impression of snow storms.
14. On average, Antarctica is 17 degrees colder than the Artic in the north.
15. There are no native people living on Antarctica.
16. Antarctica does not belong to any country, although a number have made claims. This makes it the only land on the planet not part of a country.
When considering Antarctica, it is striking how barren the land is. If not for a few research stations, the only life would be the occasional penguin coming on land to breed. It is hard to think of any other area so devoid of life on our planet.
Richard Monk is with FactsMonk.com - a site with
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Antarctica.
