On the southernmost part of Earth lies one huge and mysterious landmass – the frozen continent of Antarctica.
With an area covering about 5.4 million square miles, Antarctica is the fifth largest continent on the planet. It is located entirely within the Arctic Circle, which means the temperatures here are persistently below zero throughout the year. But, despite its incredibly harsh weather conditions, the place is frequently visited by many scientists and explorers. For these reasons, it has been named one of the most interesting places in the world.
Here are some other things you have to know about this frozen continent:
1. The famed band, Metallica, played a gig here, making them the first ever band to have played in Antarctica. They called it “Freeze ‘Em All”.
2. A nuclear power station was once put up here.
3. Antarctica is the driest place on Earth.
4. Like Australia’s “.au” and Germany’s “.de”, Antarctica has its own top-level domain.
5. It is impossible for you to work in Antarctica if your teeth and appendix are not removed.
6. Antarctica was once a very warm place. Palm trees were even found along its shores 53 million years ago.
7. Antarctica has its own Fire Department.
8. There are no polar bears in Antarctica.
9. The world’s southernmost bar is located in Antarctica.
10. The coldest temperature ever recorded on the planet was in Antarctica. It was minus 128.56 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 89.2 degrees Celsius.
11. Twelve countries signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1959, which aims to keep the continent peaceful for different research activities.
12. Emile Marco Palma is the first child born on the southernmost continent.
13. Antarctica is the fifth largest continent.
14. About 99% of Antarctica is covered with ice.
15. Despite the harsh weather conditions, there are over 1,150 plant species in Antarctica.
16. Antarctica contains every timezone in the world.
17. The ice in this continent averages about 1 mile or 1.6 kilometers.
18. The Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica separate the continent into two divisions – the East Section and the West Section.
19. It was in 1820, when the existence of Antarctica became completely known to the world.
20. Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian explorer, was the first person to reach the continent.
