40 Fun Facts About Antarctica
At the bottom of our planet is the continent of Antarctica. Antarctica is considered a dream travel destination for millions of people across the world. It’s a land of penguins, seals, icebergs, and snow! In fact, Antarctica contains more than 90% of the world’s ice.
Amazing Facts About Antarctica
1).Antarctica is the least populated continent of our planet.
2).The word ‘Antarctica’ comes from the Greek word ‘antarctic’ which means ‘opposite of the Arctic’ or ‘opposite of the north’. This icy expanse spans over 14 million square kilometres, making it the fifth largest continent in the world. It is located almost entirely within the Antarctic Circle, which means that temperatures are consistently below zero for most of the year. It is indeed one of the most interesting places on earth.
3).Antarctica is 1.3 times bigger than Europe.
4).Antarctica is the largest polar desert in the world.
5).The highest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica is 58.2°F (14.5°C).
6).In some places in Antarctica wind blows at a speed of 320KM/H.
7).Antarctica is the only continent on Earth where snakes are not found at all.
8).After 1994, Husky Dogs were banned from Antarctica.
9).The oldest sperm to date has been found in Antarctica. 50 million year old sperm of a worm.
10).90% of the clean water of the earth is there but in the form of ice.
11).You might not believe it but there is also an ATM in Antarctica.
12).Antarctica is considered a desert, as it receives only 8 inches of annual rainfall, and most of it falls in mountainous regions.
13).There is also a fire station in Antarctica. The name of this station is Murdo Station.
14).Despite being extremely cold, Antarctica is home to 1,150 different species of fungi.
15).Technically speaking, all the time zones of the Earth are found in Antarctica. Here all the longitude lines that are used to define timezones meet at both the poles of this continent.
16).90% of meteorites found to date have come from Antarctica.
Important Geographical Facts About Antarctica
17).Most of the continent of Antarctica is rough and mountainous. The beach here is steep sloping. There is no coastal plain here.
18).The Queenmode mountain range divides the continent into almost two equal parts.
19).A unique land mark of this continent is Arbus Peak, which is the only active volcano here.
20).The name of the continent that surrounds this icy continent is the Southern Ocean. Which is also known as Antarctica Ocean. The southern ends of the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean are called the Southern Ocean. The temperature of the upper water of this ocean does not go above 4 °C. The Ross Sea and the Weddell Sea are part of the Antarctic Sea.
21).Vida is a saltwater lake in Antarctica that is covered with ice up to 19 meters thick. Its salinity is comparable to that of the Dead Sea.
22).The Queen Maud Range divides the continent into parts. It contains extensive coal deposits.
23).Mount Vinson Massif is the highest peak in Antarctica.
24).Mount Erebus is the only active volcano in Antarctica.
25).There is no sunrise here from 22 March to 23 September and it is not sunset here between 24 September and 21 March.
26).Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth. The eastern part of Antarctica is relatively colder due to its higher elevation than the western part. Weather rarely enters this remote continent, so its central part is always cold and dry.
27).If you have to work in Antarctica, the first thing you will need to do is have your teeth and appendix removed, even if they are completely healthy, because there are no surgery facilities available at work stations and if it is cold. If something happens to you because of this, then your surgery will not be done here. One cannot stay here for long.
28).There is no coastal plain on this continent and only 2% of the land becomes ice-free in summer.
29).Antarctica’s Palmer Peninsula which is somewhat ice-free.
30).It is known as a ‘dynamic or active continent’ because the size of Antarctica changes with the change of seasons.
Fun Facts About Antarctica
31).Lichens and mosses are the main vegetation here.
32).Penguin which is a famous flightless bird is found on this continent.
33).A species of fish called Krill is found in abundance here. They live in groups and their group is called shawl.
34).The Transantarctic Mountains in Antarctica divide the continent into East and West.
35).This mountain range is one of the highest mountains in the world.
36).No one would have known about the existence of Antarctica if the continent had not been seen in 1820. Earlier people thought that it was just a group of islands.
37).Norway’s Roald Amundsen was the first man to reach the South Pole. Amundsen, through an English magazine, Robert Falcon Scott, told the world on 14 December 1911 that there is another continent where he reached and he also put the flag of Norway there.
38).Established in 1989, Maitri is the second research center in India.
39).This continent is also called the ‘Continent dedicated to science’ because it has scientific research centers of different countries which have been created to research on the continent’s structure, climate, fossil environment, minerals, flora, environmental science, geology etc.
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