50 Amazing Facts About Antarctica

Photo Credit: International Falls Chamber of Commerce/Pete Schultz

Slide 1 of 99

Introduction

The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth was minus 128.56 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 89.2 degrees Celsius), registered on July 21, 1983, at Antarctica's Vostok station.

It's seriously dry

Photo Credit: NASA

It's seriously dry

The Dry Valleys of Antarctica are the driest place on Earth, with low humidity and almost no snow or ice cover.

There's a lot of wind

Photo Credit: NASA/Maria-José Viñas

There's a lot of wind

On average, Antarctica is the windiest continent. Winds in some places of the continent can reach 200 mph (320 km/h).

It's a big place

Antarctica is the fifth largest continent.

There's lots of ice

Photo Credit: Robin E. Bell/ Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory.