Antarctica is the 5th largest continents of the earth.
It is the southernmost, coldest. Windiest, highest, most remote, and most recently discovered continent. It surrounds the South Pole, the point at the southern end of the earth’s axis. In terms of sheer size, the Antarctic desert is the largest desert on earth, measuring a total of 13.8 million square kilometers. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, and most isolated continent on earth, and is considered a desert because its annual precipitation can be less than 51 mm in the interior. Despite having very little precipitation, Antarctica still experiences massive windstorms. Much like sandstorms in the desert, the high winds pick up snow and turn into blizzards. These storms can reach speeds of up to 320 km an hour (200 mph) and are one of the reasons the continent is so cold. The continent is somewhat shaped as COMMA, with a round body surrounding the pole and a tail curving toward South America.
Antarctica lies 1000km
from south America, which is its nearest neighbour. 4000km from Africa and 2500km from Australia. It’s covered by a permanent ice sheet that contains 90% of the earth’s fresh water. Only 2% of the continent isn’t covered by ice, and this land is strictly along the coasts, where all the life that is associated with the land mass (i.e. Penguins, seals and various species of birds) reside. The other 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice which averages 1.6 km in thickness. There are no permanent human residents, but anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 researchers inhabit the research stations scattered across the continent – the largest being McMurdo Station, located on the tip of Ross Island. Beyond a limited range of mammals, only certain cold-adapted species of mites, algaes, and tundra vegetation can survive there. DISCOVERY OF ANTARCTICA:
Antarctica is noted as the last region on Earth in
recorded history to be discovered, unseen until 1820 when the Russian expedition of Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev on Vostok and Mirny sighted the Fimbul ice shelf. Because of the extreme cold and lack of native people, forests, land animals, and obvious natural resources, the continent remained largely neglected for decades after discovery. 1895, the first confirmed landing and was conducted by a team of Norwaygians.
Scientific expeditions and seal hunters had explored only
fragments of its coasts by the end of the 19th century, while the interior remained unknown. Explorers first reached the South Pole in1911, and the first permanent settlements-scientific stations- were established in the early 1940s. From that time the pace of exploration accelerated rapidly. Scientists continue to conduct research in Antarctica, and in recent years increasing numbers of tourists have visited Antarctica to appreciate the region’s majestic scenery and wildlife. Antarctica is de facto condominium, governed by parties to the Antarctic Treaty System that have consulting status. Twelve countries signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1959, and thirty-eight (38) have signed it since then. The treaty prohibits military activities and mineral mining, prohibits nuclear explosions and nuclear waste disposal, supports scientific research, and protects the continent’s ecozone. Ongoing experiments are conducted by more then 4000 scientists from many nations. ANTARCTICA FLAG: This is the most widely used flag--- a plain white map of the continent on a pale blue background that symbolizes NEUTRALITY. The flag was flown on the Antarctic continent for the first time in 2002. NEAREST COUNTRIES: • SOUTH AFRICA • AUSTRALIA • NEW ZEALAND • CHILE • ARGENTINA