Antarctica is a unique continent known as being the driest, windiest and coldest place on earth. Not many would probably guess the Antarctic ice sheet, which covers nearly 98 percent of the continent, contains 70 percent of the world's fresh water.
While the continent is largely covered in ice, it leaves little room for wildlife or human inhabitants. Some scientists have taken to studying those who inhabit Antarctica to help better understand how the human body adapts to cold, as well as how the mind reacts to isolation on the continent.
For good reason, tourists typically visit the Antarctic Peninsula when traveling to Antarctica, which is considered to be mild in comparison to the rest of the continent.
More about Antarctica:
- In Antarctica, the area below 60 degrees latitude only has one very long night and one very long day each year.
- Summer in Antarctica takes place in October through February. Its seasons are opposite of the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Plants are only able to grow on about 2 percent of Antarctica because the remainder of the continent is covered in ice.
