In progress.
Antarctica
The term Antarctic, referring to the opposite of the Arctic Circle, was coined by Marinus of Tyre in the 2nd century AD, and was named so when it was believed to exist. The rounding of the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn in the 15th and 16th centuries proved that it was a continent.
The first landing on the continent was likely in the mid 1800s, and the "Heroic Age of Arctic Exploration" followed at the end of the 19th century.
About
- Size: 14 million km² (5th largest continent)
- Population: ~1,000–5,000 (seasonal, all researchers)
- Number of Countries: 0 (governed by Antarctic Treaty System)
- Major Languages: None official
- Notable Features: South Pole, polar plateau, ice shelves, katabatic winds
- Biodiversity: Penguins, seals, krill, whales, cold-adapted microbes
- Economy: No permanent economy; research and limited tourism only
- Trivia: Antarctica is technically a desert (least precipitation), and some parts have not seen rain or snow in over 2 million years.
Links
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctica
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Antarctica
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroic_Age_of_Antarctic_Exploration
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