Most people know very little about Antarctica, so the good people at Factslides gathered some cool facts about the continent, most of which will probably leave you speechless.
#25. Antarctica is the largest desert in the world.
#24. Antarctica is the only continent without reptiles.
#23. The coldest place on Earth is a high ridge in Antarctica where temperatures can dip below -133°F (-93.2°C).
#22. Some parts of Antarctica have had no rain or snow for the last 2 million years.
#21. There is a waterfall in Antarctica that runs red.
#20. Antarctica has only one ATM.
#19. 90% of the world’s fresh water is in Antarctica.
#18. You cannot work in Antarctica unless you have had your wisdom teeth and appendix removed.
#17. There are no polar bears in Antarctica (only in the Arctic), but there are lots of penguins.
#16. Antarctica is the only continent without a time zone.
#15. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, highest, and driest continent on Earth.
#14. Ice melting in Antarctica has caused a small shift in gravity in the region.
#13. Chile has a civilian town in Antarctica, complete with a school, hospital, hostel, post office, Internet, TV and mobile phone coverage.
#12. The ice sheet of Antarctica has been in existence for at least 40 million years.
#11. There are 300 lakes beneath Antarctica that are kept from freezing by the warmth of Earth’s core.
#10. The highest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica is 58.2°F (14.5°C).
#9. Mount Erebus is the southernmost active volcano on Earth is in Antarctica. It spews crystals.
#8. Antarctica was once as warm as modern-day California.
#7. There are at least seven Christian churches in Antarctica.
#6. A scientist in Antarctica got a date through Tinder with a girl camping just 45 minutes away.
#5. Most of Antarctica is covered in ice: less than 1% is permanently ice-free.
#4. The largest iceberg ever measured is bigger than Jamaica: 11,000 sq km (4,200 sq mi). It broke away from Antarctica in 2000.
#3. The average thickness of ice in Antarctica is about 1 mile (1.6 km).
#2. In 1977, Argentina sent a pregnant mother to Antarctica in an effort to claim a portion of the continent. The boy became the first human known to be born in Antarctica.
#1. Winds in some places of Antarctica can reach 200 mph (320 km/h).
