| Location | |
.svg/250px-Antarctica_on_the_globe_(red).svg.png) | |
| Fast Data | |
| Area | 14,000,000 km2 |
| Population | 1.000 - 5.000 |
| Internet TLD | .aq |
THE Antarctic is the land of the extremities: it is the coldest and driest continent on earth and has the highest average altitude. As the fifth largest continent in the world, Antarctica covers the South Pole. A place that is rarely touched by man this icy earth has beautiful landscapes, interrupted only by a handful of scientific bases and a "permanent" population of a few thousand scientists. Visitors to Antarctica generally have to cross rough seas on icebreakers, but those who do are rewarded with a fairytale setting and significant wildlife, most notably the imperial penguins.
Understanding
Although many countries have made demands on various parts of Antarctica, it is governed by the Antarctic Treaty of 1958, which establishes the continent as a peaceful area of international cooperation and research. There are no cities with the literal meaning of the term, but research stations with a total population ranging from 1000-4000 people, depending on the time of year. The stations are reserved for scientific purposes only and do not provide official support for tourism. The laws of the nation that operates each research station apply only to the boundaries of the station.
Private travel to Antarctica generally takes one of three forms:
- commercial sea voyages with visits to the land (by far the most popular form of tourist activity)
- specially equipped land missions
- sights from the air.
About 80 companies belong to the International Association of Antarctic Travel Agents [1], a holding company that regulates non-research trips to the area. During the summer of 2005-2006, an estimated 26,250 people visited Antarctica or its coastlines.
History
Flora and fauna
Antarctica is remarkable as the only continent that has no significant fauna and no native mammals, reptiles, or amphibians. (There are no polar bears here, living only at the North Pole). However, many species of migratory birds and penguins make their nests on its shores. The surrounding Southern Ocean is home to many fish and marine mammals, including whales.
Climate
Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth. The lowest natural temperature ever recorded on Earth was −89.2 ° C at Russia's Vostok Station in Antarctica on July 21, 1983. [38] For comparison, this temperature is 11 ° C colder than the sublimation temperature of dry ice. Antarctica is an icy desert with little rainfall, and at the South Pole rainfall is less than 10 cm per year, on average.
Temperatures reach a minimum between -80 ° C and -90 ° C inland in winter and a maximum between 5 ° C and 15 ° C near the coast in summer. The risk of sunburn is significant. as the surface of the snow reflects almost all the ultraviolet radiation that falls on it. The surface of the snow near Concordia Station is the typical one found on most of the surface of the continent.
East Antarctica is colder than western because of its higher altitude. Weather fronts rarely penetrate deep into the continent, leaving the center cold and dry. Despite the lack of rainfall over the central part of the continent, the ice there is maintained for extended periods of time. In the coastal part, heavy snowfall is not uncommon, where snowfall of up to 1.22 m in 48 hours has been recorded.
At the ends of the continent, strong winds near the polar plateau often blow with strong winds. Inside, however, wind speeds are usually moderate. During the summer, on clear days at the South Pole, more sunlight reaches the surface than in Ecuador due to the 24-hour sunshine every day at the Pole.
Due to the peculiar climate and low temperatures, Antarctica can be visited for tourist purposes in the summer Australian period November-March.
Geography
Antarctica is the southernmost continent on the planet and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. It has an area of over 14,000,000 km², thus being the fifth largest continent, about 1.3 times larger than Europe. Its coastline is 17,968 km long and is characterized mainly by ice formations, as shown in the table below:
About 98% of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, an ice sheet with an average thickness of at least 1 mile. The continent has about 90% of the planet's ice (and therefore 70% of the world's drinking water).
West Antarctica is covered by the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The ice cover has recently aroused interest due to its realistic, albeit small, chance of collapsing. If it collapsed, ocean levels would rise by a few meters in a relatively short geologically long period of time, possibly in a few centuries. Several ice flows, which make up 10% of the ice sheet, flow to one of the many ice caps. East Antarctica is located on the Indian Ocean side and consists of Earth Coach, Queen Mont Land, Enterby Earth, McRobertson Earth, Wilkes Earth and Victoria Earth. The whole area except for a small part is located in the eastern hemisphere. East Antarctica is mainly covered by the East Antarctic Ice Sheet
Vinson Massif is the highest peak in Antarctica with an altitude of 4892 m, located in the Elsworth Mountains. Antarctica has many other mountains, both on the continent and on the surrounding islands. In the Ross Sea, Mount Erebus is the southernmost active volcano on the planet. Another well-known volcano is located on the island of Despecion, which is known for its giant eruption in 1970. In recent years there have been minor eruptions and frequent lava flows. There are other potentially active volcanoes.
In Antarctica, more than 70 lakes have been recorded at the base of the continental shelf. Lake Vostok, discovered under the Russian Vostok Station in 1996, is the largest of the glaciers. It used to be thought that the lake was watertight for 500,000 to a million years, but recent research suggests that quite often there are large streams of water from one lake to another.
Areas
| Antarctic Peninsula (Antarctic Peninsula) The primary destination in Antarctica, close to Land of Fire (Tierra del Fuego), with the impressive topography of the Antarctic Andes, the hot springs and the densest concentration of research stations on the continent |
| East Antarctica The vast icy desert of the eastern hemisphere, which accounts for most of the continent, is probably the least known Antarctic part to tourists, but there are some interesting destinations, including Mawson's Huts, and the Southern Inaccessible Southern Pole of Inaccessibility), ie the farthest point from the coast of Antarctica |
| Ross Sea (Ross Sea) The main destination for cruises from Australia and New Zealand. It has some of Antarctica's most spectacular attractions around the volcanic island of Ross and the vast mountain range of Antarctica |
| South Pole Unlike the North Pole, the South coincides with a land area, and therefore has a permanent research station and a related monument. |
| West Antarctica With the exception of the Antarctic Peninsula, West Antarctica is a barren and empty area, even for research stations, except for the Brunt Ice Shelf, but here is the highest and lowest point on the continent. There are special missions with guides to climb to the highest peak. |
- Note: All dots on the map show residential research stations.
- See also South Ocean Islands
Destinations
The main destination for those visiting Antarctica is either a research station (working on the icy continent), the Antarctic Peninsula the Ross Sea (for those visiting Antarctica by cruise ship). The other destinations are for those who have extreme motivation and (mostly) funding.
- South Pole
- The southern farthest point - The farthest point of Antarctica from the South Sea (in other words the most inaccessible point in the world), with an abandoned Soviet station, which although covered with ice, still has the image of Lenin emerging from the snow facing in her direction Moscow. If the traveler manages to find an entrance, there is a guest book to put his signature, as a testament to the fact that he got there.
- Mount Erebus - The southernmost active volcano in the world on the Ross Sea, just after Mount Terror! In it is located one of the few continuously active lava lakes
- Antarctic Peninsula - here is what a "tourist attraction, if there is anything touristy in Antarctica. In the area are the American Palmer Station, the Port Lockroy Museum, Cuverville Island, and the two unique cruise ship destinations: Paradise Bay and Neko Port. Harbor).
- South Shetland Islands (South Shetland Islands) - also a major destination in Antarctic Peninsula for cruise ships, with attractions such as: imperial penguins and hot springs on Deception Island, Hannah Point, Half Moon Island, Aitcho Islands, Base A Artigas Base) (Uruguay), and always friendly Poles researchers at Arkowski Station.
- Ross Sea - McMardo Station (USA.) and the Scott Base (New Zealand) on Ross Island.
- The Mawson's Huts - the small camp of Douglas Mosson's failed mission to Antarctica, of which Monson himself was the only survivor, at Cape Denison, Commonwealth Bay
Languages
In Antarctica, the indigenous languages of the nations that maintain stations or bases are spoken. THE lingua franca for the communication of the different stations is English.
Arrival
With airplane
Aircraft and pilots should be able to land on ice, snow or gravel, as there are no paved runways.
There are 28 landing facilities and airport services in Antarctica. Also, all 37 stations in Antarctica have heliports. Landings are generally limited to the summer season (summer months from October to March).