15 Fascinating Facts About Antarctica

Previously, we explored 15 intriguing facts about the Arctic, which I found incredibly engaging since I knew so little about it. This time, I’ve prepared 15 fascinating facts about Antarctica. Perhaps even more mysterious than the Arctic, what untold stories does Antarctica hold? For this content, I’ve excluded historical anecdotes and unverified claims, focusing only on verified facts. Let’s dive in and see how much you know about Antarctica!

Fascinating Facts About Antarctica

1. Antarctica is about twice the size of Australia and larger than Europe. Compared to South Korea’s land area, it is approximately 140 times larger.
2. The Antarctic ice sheet is the largest single mass of ice in the world, with a thickness of up to 6 kilometers. It contains 70% of the world’s freshwater, far surpassing the Arctic’s freshwater content.
3. Beneath the Antarctic ice sheet lie the Gamburtsev Mountains, one of the world’s largest mountain ranges, and the frozen Lake Vostok. The mountain range stretches 1,200 kilometers, and the lake covers an area of 18,000 km².
4. Antarctica is home to an unnamed trench comparable to the Grand Canyon. It spans 100 kilometers in length, over 9 kilometers in width, and more than 1.6 kilometers in depth.
5. Antarctica is the world’s largest desert. The Dry Valleys region, in particular, is considered the driest place on Earth, with low humidity and no snow or ice cover.
6. Some parts of Antarctica haven’t seen rain or snow for the past 2 million years.
7. Antarctica is the windiest place on Earth, with wind speeds reaching up to 320 km/h (200 mph).
8. The lowest recorded temperature in Antarctica is -93.2°C (-135.8°F), while the highest is 17°C (62.6°F).
9. Antarctica experiences 24-hour darkness during winter and 24-hour daylight during summer.
10. Like the Arctic, Antarctica is where all lines of longitude converge, so it has no standard time zone and no time difference with places like South Korea.
11. Antarctica is the best continent for finding meteorites. Their dark color stands out against the white snow, and the pristine environment preserves them exceptionally well.
12. Antarctica is officially uninhabited, with no permanent residents or indigenous populations. However, researchers from around the world live there, and children have been born in its extreme conditions.
13. Despite its uninhabited status, Antarctica has seven churches and two ATMs.
14. Over 12 million penguins live in Antarctica.
15. Antarctica is open to tourism. Though it requires significant time and expense, visitors can enjoy activities like kayaking, boating, trekking, and whale watching.

Antarctica’s aura of mystery has always captivated me, and I dream of visiting it at least once in my lifetime if time and resources allow. However, global warming is causing its glaciers to shrink rapidly. I hope the world will work harder to protect the environment, not only for Antarctica’s sake but for our own, so that Antarctica can continue to thrive as the unique place it is.