AN T A R C T IC A

INTRODUCTION:
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