20 amazing facts about Antarctica, who does not know almost no one

For many years, scientists are wondering what is hidden under the ice of Antarctica, exploring the flora and fauna of the continent.

The vast number of people, responding to a question about the world's largest desert, the Sahara, and are referred to as wrong. The correct answer - Antarctica - the fifth-largest continent on the planet an area of ​​over 14 million square kilometers, and at the same time the least studied and mysterious of all seven continents. For many years, scientists are wondering what is hidden under the ice of Antarctica, exploring the flora and fauna of the continent. In our review of the 10-ka little-known facts about the southernmost and coldest desert on Zemle.



1. Wisdom teeth and the appendix
In Antarctica, do not let those who are not removed wisdom teeth and appendix. This is due to the fact that the stations in Antarctica are not carried out surgery, so before you go on the icy continent need to remove wisdom teeth and appendix, even if they are completely healthy.





2. McMurdo Dry Valleys
Antarctica - the driest place in the world. To be precise, here it is the driest place on the planet - McMurdo Dry Valleys.





3. Own Top Level Domain
Like many other countries (Australia, .au, Germany, .de), Antarctica has its own top-level domain - .aq





4. Palm trees in Antarctica
53 million years ago, Antarctica was so warm that along its shores grow palm trees. Temperature in the continent rise above 20 degrees Celsius.





5. Metallica's Antarctica
Metallica played a gig in 2013 in Antarctica called Freeze 'Em All, thus becoming the first band that performed on all continents. What is also remarkable, the group visited all seven continents in one year.





6. Own Nuclear Power
In Antarctica has its own nuclear power plant. She has worked at the US McMurdo station (the largest on the continent) from 1960 to 1972.





7. Fire
In Antarctica, there are fire department. It is located at McMurdo Station and employs professional firefighters.





8. 1150 species of mushrooms
Despite the extremely low temperatures in Antarctica have 1150 different species of fungi. They are well adapted to low temperatures, as well as continuous cycles of freezing and thawing.





9. Time zones of the world
In Antarctica, there are actually all time zones on the planet. This is due to the fact that the boundaries of the time zones converge at one point on both poles.





10. Polar bears
Antarctica has no polar bears. They can be seen in the Arctic and Canada.





11. The southernmost bar in the world
In Antarctica, there is even a bar - the southernmost bar in the world. It is located at the research station "Akademik Vernadsky", owned by Ukraine.





12. Minus 89 degrees Celsius 2
The lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth was minus 128 and 56 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 89, 2 degrees Celsius). It was registered on 21 July 1983 the Russian station "Vostok" in Antarctica.





13. The fifth largest continent
Antarctica - the fifth-largest continent. Its area is 14 million square kilometers.





14. 99% of Antarctica is covered by ice
99% of Antarctica is covered by ice. The glacier that covers the continent, often referred to as ice sheet.





15. 70% of the Earth's fresh water
The average thickness of the Antarctic ice is about 1, 6 km. Therefore, in Antarctica it is about 70% of all fresh water on Earth.





16. Transantarctic Mountains
Transantarctic Mountains divide the continent into eastern and western parts. This is one of the longest mountain ranges in the world (3,500 km).





17. Antarctica noticed in 1820
The existence of Antarctica was completely unknown until then, until the continent has not been seen for the first time in 1820. Previously, people thought it was just a group of islands.





18. Roald Amundsen
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen December 14, 1911 became the first person to reach the South Pole, and set it on the flag of your country.





19. "The Antarctic Treaty»
After secret negotiations, twelve countries signed the "Antarctic Treaty" in 1959 to dedicate the continent exclusively peaceful research activities. Today an agreement was signed by 48 countries already.





20. Marco Emilio Palma
In January 1979, Marco Emilio Palma was the first child born on the southern continent. It was a planned action of Argentina, which claimed a part of Antarctica and specifically sent to a pregnant woman.





: Fishki.net

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