Facts of Antarctica     

1. Antarctica is the fifth largest continent in the world. It almost double the size of Australia.
2. Antarctica holds most of the world’s fresh water. About 60%-90% of the world’s fresh water is locked in Antarctica’s ice sheet. It covers 14 million km² of Antarctic mountain ranges, valleys and plateaus.
3. While Antarctica is covered in ice, it has one of the world’s biggest mountain ranges – the Gamburtsev Mountains stretching more than 1200 kilometres.
4. Antarctica is the windiest place on Earth. The windspeed could reach up to 350 kilometres/218 miles per hour from the reports of scientists.
5.  Of the seven continents on Earth, Antarctica is the driest continent with very little rainfall throughout the year.
6. Antarctica used to be warm during Cretaceous Period, around 90-100 million years ago with 17º C (63º F) temperature across the land. Fossils were found and showing that it was once covered  with forests and dinosaurs.
7. In December 1959, 12 countries signed the Antarctic Treaty, an international agreement to govern the continent together for peace and science. The treaty is now signed by 53 countries.
8. Antarctica has the highest elevation of all continents. The highest mountain on Antarctica is Mount Vinson at 4.900 metres/16.000 ft.
9. Antarctica is also the coldest continent of our planet, the coldest temperature ever measured was -89.2º C/-128º F at Vostok Station in 1983. The coastline has the average temperature of -10ºC/14º F, the warmest in the continent.
10. Each year over 70.000 people from across the world visit Antarctica by sea and air. They depart mostly via sea from Ushuaia (the southernmost city on the planet) in Argentina. Takes about 36 hours to reach Antarctica Peninsula from Ushuaia.
11.  Antarctica is melting now due to the effects of global warming. It contains over 90% of the world’s ice, if all the ice melted global sea level would rise about 60 m (200 ft).
12. The Antarctic Peninsula is the most rapidly warming place on Earth. Over the past 50 years, average temperature have increased by 3º C (37.4º F), that’s five times the average increase on Earth.