Antarctica is the coolest place on Earth, literally. This icy continent stands out as one of the most unique and mysterious places on the planet, being that most people have never been there before. While it’s commonly known that Antarctica is home to various animals like whales and penguins, that’s pretty much where the knowledge stops. However, there is actually so much more to know about Antarctica that can teach you a lot about the Earth. These 10 fun facts about Antarctica are especially interesting for kids who have been introduced to the continent but want to know more.
Antarctica may be the third smallest continent after Australia and Europe, but it is mighty in the sense that there is no other continent like it. Antarctica is not a country but more like a giant desert, equipped with massive glaciers, no human population and, somehow, a couple of volcanoes. Uncover the mystery that is this continent and learn more with these fun facts.
1. Antarctica Holds Most of the World’s Fresh Water and Ice
The first of these fun facts about Antarctica for kids may come as no surprise since it’s all about ice. Antarctica is a frozen desert that holds around 90% of the world’s ice and 70% of its fresh water. The earth is still limited in supplies of fresh water because all of it in Antarctica is frozen in ice. The Antarctic ice sheet contains 30 million cubic kilometers of ice, which is enough to raise global sea levels by over 200 feet if it all melted.
2. Antarctica is the World’s Largest Desert
When you think of deserts, images of sandy, arid landscapes come to mind. However, Antarctica is actually the world’s largest desert, despite being covered in ice and snow. Antarctica is classified as a desert because its annual precipitation is less than 2 inches per year. This little amount of precipitation is significantly drier than many deserts you might picture This makes it the world’s largest desert at 5.4 million square miles, about 1.5 times the size of the Sahara Desert.
3. Antarctica Has the Lowest Population of Any Continent
Antarctica has no permanent human inhabitants unlike all other continents. This means there are no native people that are born and live in Antarctica. Only about 1000-5000 researchers and staff stay temporarily at research stations across the continent. This makes Antarctica the continent with the smallest population.
4. Emperor Penguins Only Live in Antarctica
The iconic Emperor penguin is the only penguin species that breeds exclusively in Antarctica. It undertakes an incredible breeding process where male penguins keep the egg warm in the middle of the Antarctic winter until it is ready to hatch. Emperor penguins are very well adapted to survive temperatures as low as -76°F (-60°C)!
5. Antarctica Contains the Southernmost Point on Earth
Picture a globe and imagine drawing a line right at the bottom. That spot marks the South Pole, and it’s located in Antarctica. The geographic South Pole in Antarctica marks the southernmost point on planet Earth. Here, all lines of longitude meet and all time zones are collapsed into one. Amundsen-Scott Station, a US research base, sits very close to the actual pole point. Travelers who venture to the South Pole experience extreme conditions. It’s a destination for scientists studying climate change, as well as for adventurous explorers seeking to conquer one of the most remote and challenging places on Earth.
6. The Coldest Temperature on Earth was Recorded in Antarctica
When discussing cold temperatures, Antarctica takes the crown. The lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth (-128.6°F / -89.2°C) was registered in 1983 at the Russian Vostok Station in Antarctica. On average, the interior of Antarctica is the coldest place on the planet. Antarctica’s high elevations, clear skies, and lack of heat-absorbing surfaces contribute to these frigid temperatures. It’s a place where winter lasts for months, and the icy winds seem to never relent. Just imagining such cold might send shivers down your spine.
7. Antarctica Has Active Volcanoes and Mountain Ranges
Here is one of the fun facts about Antarctica that may be hard to believe. The Transantarctic Mountain Range stretches over 3,000 km across Antarctica and contains two active volcanoes. These volcanoes are called Mount Erebus and Mount Melbourne. Erebus is one of only a few volcanoes in the world with an active lava lake. That’s right, there is somehow a lava lake surrounded by ice.
8. The Antarctica Treaty Declared the Continent as a Peaceful Site for Research
The Antarctic treaty, signed in 1959 by 12 countries, declared the continent should be set aside for peaceful research activities only. This means military activity, mineral mining and nuclear testing is banned on the continent, according to Jeanne Croteau for WeAreTeachers. Today, over 50 countries have signed the treaty regulating relations on the continent.
9. Parts of Antarctica are the Driest Deserts on Earth
Some areas in Antarctica’s dry valleys have seen no rainfall for nearly 2 million years. With moisture locked up in the ice, regions like the McMurdo Dry Valleys are amongst the world’s driest deserts. Research published by Montana State University reported that the average total annual precipitation in the McMurdo Dry Valleys is 6 cm.
10. Extreme Winds Make Antarctica One of the Windiest Places
The last of these fun facts about Antarctica for kids will figuratively and literally blow you away. Antarctica’s interior is affected by extreme Katabatic winds pouring down from the high polar plateau. Wind speeds have been recorded as high as 200 mph along the coast. This is amongst the strongest winds on Earth. These blasting winds add an extra chill factor to the freezing temperatures!