You must have heard the name Antarctica. It is an ice-cold continent.
You know that there are seven continents on earth. It is also a continent.
There are several countries with continents. But this continent is not like that.
There is no country on this continent. Again there are no permanent residents.
It is not owned by anyone!
Yes, that's right. About 4,000 tourists come here in summer and less than 1,000 in winter. In winter, the temperature here is below minus 60 degrees Celsius! Imagine that!
The continent covers almost the whole of Antarctica's Arctic Circle, meaning that temperatures remain below zero degrees throughout most of the year. Due to such unfavorable weather, it is very difficult to live here compared to other parts of the world. So only 300 species of aquatic plants are found here. Among the animals, penguins, snails and pilates live in this cold continent. Here the penguin is called the queen. We say ‘gentleman in a coat’. One of the animals you are curious about is the penguin.
Interestingly, the penguins are quite good at swimming. They can swim up to 30 miles per hour. In addition to swimming, they can also give a good drive. When swimming, use the front legs and change direction with the feet. It is not difficult for them to be submerged in water for 20 minutes continuously!
The continent of Antarctica is basically an area of solid ice. The ice kingdom covers an area of more than 5.4 million square miles, making it the 5th largest continent in the world. About 300 lakes have been found here. The shortage of pure water in the world is increasing. You know - 70 percent of the world's pure water is stored in this continent. And most of it is frozen. I mean ice. The thinnest layer of ice here is about one kilometer.
According to a team of scientists exploring south of Antarctica, winds from different parts of Antarctica blow at a maximum of 200 miles per hour. So it can be said that the wind blows here too. There is a museum here. Named the 'Port Lockery Museum'. There are 60 research centers in the continent for research conducted by researchers from 30 different countries.
You have heard the name of the adventurer Captain James Cook. He was English. This British tourist first came up with the idea of a continent called Antarctica. He crossed Antarctica twice (January 17, 183 and 184). That is why he is called the discoverer of Antarctica. Earlier, some Russians had identified parts of the continent, according to the US space agency NASA. However, they could not give a clear idea. James Cook gave a detailed idea. There is no disagreement in this regard.
According to researchers, 45 percent of Antarctica is made up of ice shells, 36 percent of ice walls, 13 percent of ice streams, and the remaining 4 percent of rocks. So it is understood that Antarctica is a reservoir of ice. Sometimes there are icebergs and there are two seas. The continent of Antarctica is surrounded by the Trans-Antarctic mountain range, which divides the continent into eastern and western parts.
Antarctica is covered with its white ice, one of the largest mountains in the world. Whose name is Gambartsev. It spans about 650 miles. The highest peak in the mountains is about 9,000 feet, which is about one-third of the world's highest peak, Everest.
Going to Antarctica is difficult and arduous. If anyone wants to go, they have to go to New Zealand or Australia first. From there you can go here by plane or ship. There are direct plane services from New Zealand or Australia. There has been an Australia-Antarctica plane service since the 1970s. Which is known as ‘Quantas’. It is known to travel regularly.