Listed below are some statements about the beautiful continent of Antarctica. Can you pick the fact from the fiction? Later I’ll post more fun facts about the continent!
- Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth, with the lowest recorded temperature of -89.2°C at Vostok Station in 1983.
- Antarctica is home to a small but thriving population of polar bear.
- Despite being covered in ice, Antarctica is classified as a desert because it receives less precipitation than the Sahara.
- There are luxury resorts and hotels built on the Antarctic ice for high-end tourists.
- About 70% of the world’s fresh water is stored in Antarctica’s massive ice sheets.
- Native Antarctic tribes have inhabited the continent for over 5,000 years, living in insulated ice dwellings.
- Antarctica has no permanent human residents, only temporary scientists and support staff numbering up to 10,000 in summer.
- McDonald’s operate a franchise at McMurdo Station in Antarctica to serve the staff.
- The southernmost active volcano on Earth, Mount Erebus, is located in Antarctica and has a persistent lava lake.
- Penguins in Antarctica have evolved to fly short distances due to the strong winds helping with lift-off.
- Antarctica was the last continent to be discovered by humans, first sighted in 1820 by a Russian expedition.
- Underneath the ice, Antarctica hides vast tropical rainforests preserved from millions of years ago.
- If all the ice in Antarctica melted, it could raise global sea levels by about 58 meters.
- Antarctica has its own official currency, the Antarctic Pound, used exclusively in research bases.
- Blood Falls in Antarctica is a waterfall that flows red due to high iron content in the water, resembling blood.
- Antarctica fully melts during its summer season, turning into a vast ocean with temporary islands.
- Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent, bigger than Europe but smaller than South America.
- The continent supports year-round farming of tropical fruits like bananas in heated geodesic domes.
- There are no reptiles, amphibians, or land snakes native to Antarctica due to its extreme cold.
- Antarctica is divided into territories owned by seven countries, with Australia claiming the largest share.
No Cheating!!
| 1. True | 11. True |
| 2. False | 12. False |
| 3. True | 13. True |
| 4. False | 14. False |
| 5. True | 15. True |
| 6. False | 16. False |
| 7. True | 17. True |
| 8. False | 18. False |
| 9. True | 19. Ture |
| 10. False | 20. False |
Hope you enjoyed and maybe learned a little. Sorry for the combination of true and false, but as I said, next time it’ll be all facts!!