Antarctica is absolutely unlike any other place on the planet: 

• Antarctica is the world’s fifth biggest continent in terms of land area. The continent is nearly twice as large as Australia! 
• Whilst Antarctica is mostly filled with ice, it does have one of the world’s largest mountain peaks, the Gamburtsev Mountains, which span roughly 1200 kilometres. 
• Antarctica is the world’s driest continent. Antarctica is an ice landscape with minimal precipitation year around. 
• There are numerous volcanoes in Antarctica, two of them are active. 
• Antarctica is the continent with the fewest people. The continent is home to just around 1,000 people in the winter and 10,000 people in the summer. These individuals are mostly stationed there for one year to reside and work at the research sites. 
• Deep Lake in Antarctica is so salted that it never freezes, even in conditions as cold as -15°C! 
• Antarctica is home to more than 90% of the world’s ice and 90% of the world’s freshwater resources. 
• Several fish in Antarctica have specific ‘anti-freeze’ enzymes in their blood to keep them from freezing in the polar seas. 
• There are 18 nations that send scientists and researchers to the continent’s numerous locations on a regular schedule. The United States, Russia, Chile, Argentina, and Australia have the most and largest stations. 
• As early as 1773, British explorer James Cook was the first to traverse the Antarctic circle and circumnavigate the Antarctic continent.