25 Things You Did Not Know About Antarctica

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).