Antarctica |
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Antarctica is a land of extremes: it is the coldest and driest continent on Earth and has the highest average elevation. As the fifth largest continent in the world, Antartica is also the most Southern, overlying the South Pole. Scarcely touched by humans, the frozen land boasts breathtaking scenery broken by only a handful of scientific bases and a small, permanent population of scientists. Visitors to Antarctica generally must brave rough sea crossings aboard ice-strengthened vessels, but those who do are rewarded with amazing scenery and tremendous and unique wildlife. Although several countries have laid claim to various portions of Antarctica, it is governed by the 1959 Antarctic Treaty which established the continent as a peaceful and cooperative international research zone. Antarctica is notable for being the only continent with no significant plant life and no native land mammals, reptiles, or amphibians. (There are no polar bears; they are only at the North Pole.) However its shoreline serves as nesting ground for many species of migratory birds and penguins, and the Southern Ocean surrounding it is home to many fish and marine mammals including whales. Do not be fooled by all the ice: Antarctica is a desert. The moisture is all tied up in frigid seawater and the huge sheets, shelves, and packs of ice which cover nearly all of the continent plus surrounding waters. There is little snowfall here, and even less rain. For tourists, Antarctica is accessible only during the austral summer season from November to March, during which sea ice melts enough to allow access and there is sunlight during the day.
This article is based on work found at WikiTravel. A list of contributors is available a the original article. This article is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license.
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