Overviews
An Overview of Antarctica
To visit the south pole, you will need to travel across Antarctica. Here is an overview of the amazing land known as 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 facts about everything. Visit us to read more about Antarctica. |
Richard Monk
Similar articles
An Overview of China for Travelers
China is often left out of discussions of early civilization which is a mistake since it was one of the first. If you are taking a trip to China, here is some background information your should know. Read more →An Overview of Mexican Celebrations for Travelers
Mexico is very popular travel destination for travelers. If you are considering a trip, timing it to coincide with one of the celebration periods is a good idea. Read more →Bus Travel in the U.S. - An Overview for Visitors
Bus travel takes a different role in the car-driven culture of the United States than it does in most countries. Because the area of the US is so vast, flying is often the most attractive transportation option for traveling between cities and can be priced quite competitively when factoring in time and convenience. Read more →Overview of Cozumel in Mexico
The island of Cozumel is only 12 miles (19 km) off the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula's east coast and 44 miles (71 km) south of Cancun. For years, Cozumel was a quiet sleepy island that didn't get many visitors until Jacques Cousteau did a documentary on it after discovering the world class scuba diving at the Palancar Reefs nearby. Read more →Aphorism
The routines of tourism are even more monotonous than those of daily life.