Antarctica

Interesting Facts:

Antarctica is one of the two coldest places on Earth. The following facts about Antarctica may surprise you.

• Antarctica is one and a half times the size of the United States.
• The temperature in Antarctica almost always remains below freezing.
• Antarctica holds roughly one third of all the fresh water on Earth.
• No trees grow on Antarctica.
• Antarctica was warm for much of the history of Earth.
• The continent of Antarctica is buried under 1 mile of snow and ice.
• At its deepest point, the ice is over 3 miles thick.
• The largest animal living on Antarctica is a midge, which is less than a half inch long.
• The sea around Antarctica, however, is full of living creatures.
• Antarctica is so cold, nothing can rot.
• In 1983, the lowest temperature ever recorded was on Antarctica: -129 degrees fahrenheit.
• Antarctica is the driest continent on Earth. It receives less than 2 inches of rain a year.
• It rarely snows in Antarctica. Instead, wind storms blow snow off the surface of the ice which creates the impression of snow storms.
• On average, Antarctica is 17 degrees colder than the Artic in the north.
• Antarctica waters are so cold, codfish have antifreeze in their blood to keep from freezing.
• There are no native people living on Antarctica.
• Antarctica does not belong to any country.
• The countries of the world have agreed to waive ownership claims on the area, instead agreeing to jointly pursue scientific research.

When considering facts about 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.

Source: http://www.factsmonk.com/facts_about_antarctica