Antarctica was discovered much later than other continents, and Russian navigators were the first to reach it, almost 200 years ago. Antarctica is translated literally from Greek as “the opposite of the Arctic”. You can get there by plane or icebreaker ship, which can make its way through the ice.

Located Antarctica at the South Pole of the Earth. This continent is a kingdom of eternal cold. It is covered with a thick layer of ice. And the waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans splash around. Antarctica has a very cold climate, with temperatures reaching minus 90 degrees.

Probably only the Snow Queen could live permanently in Antarctica - she would love the icy cliffs and snowy deserts. But ordinary people have a hard time in such conditions. Therefore, they come here for a very short time - on scientific expeditions: they explore the air and water, look for minerals - substances that help make human life easier. Interestingly, February is considered the most “summer” month here, so it is precisely at this time that scientists come here for their shifts.

Exploring such a harsh continent is not for the timid.

However, some living beings and plants are quite comfortable in Antarctica. Tiny islands of land protruding from under the ice are covered with mosses and lichens, seals and elephant seals bask in rookeries, and penguins walk importantly among the snowy deserts. By the way, they are found only in Antarctica emperor penguins, they differ from others in that they are much larger and taller than their counterparts.

Emperor penguins are indigenous to Antarctica. It's amazing how they were able to adapt to life in such cold weather.

At the end of the last century, Russian scientists discovered an unfreezing lake under the ice in Antarctica and named it "East", it is the largest, with a total of more than 140 subglacial lakes.

In 2000, an iceberg broke off from the ice shelf, which is the largest iceberg existing in our time, its area is 11,000 square meters. km., length 295 km., width - 37 km., rises 30 meters above sea level.

There are also active volcanoes on the continent. The most famous of them is Erebus, that is, “a volcano guarding the path to the South Pole.”

This is what Mount Erebus looks like from a bird's eye view

This is how mysterious, snowy and impenetrable Antarctica is!

Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth. Antarctica owes its unique natural features to its geographical location. Almost the entire continent is located beyond the Antarctic Circle. The sun never rises high above. In the summer, the polar day comes to Antarctica, and in the winter - the polar night, the duration of which reaches up to six months - only once a year can you observe the sunrise and sunset here. The slanting rays of the sun cannot warm this continent, and therefore is in the grip of eternal cold. It is covered with a kilometer-long ice shell, only in some places black bare Antarctic rocks - nunataks - can be seen from under the ice. The natural world of the mainland is quite scarce. Plants here are dominated by mosses and lichens; there are several species of flowering plants. Fur seals set up their rookeries along the shores of Antarctica, and flocks of penguins settle. Due to its removal, Antarctica became the last discovered continent on Earth. Its discovery occurred only in the 19th century during the Russian Antarctic expedition led by F.F. Bellingshausen and M.P. . Antarctica was the only continent on the planet that could not be inhabited by humans. And today there is no permanent population in Antarctica; moreover, all territories south of the 60th parallel do not belong to any state in the world and are the property of all humanity. Here is the so-called pole of inaccessibility - the point furthest away from all populated areas on Earth. International research is actively underway in Antarctica; there are now 37 stations with a total staff of up to 3,000 people. At the Soviet Vostok station, now the only inland Russian polar station, the lowest temperature on Earth was recorded on July 21, 1983 - 89.2 ° C. Indeed, the climatic conditions of Antarctica are the harshest on the entire planet; at exceptionally low temperatures, very little precipitation falls here, and the strongest winds blow at speeds of up to 90 m/s. Antarctica's climate is very similar to Mars.

A list of geographical objects for 7th grade students that you need to know and mark on the contour map:

Coastline:
Seas: Wedell, Lazarev, Larsen, Cosmonauts, Commonwealth, D'Urville, Somov, Ross, Amundsen, Bellingshausen.
Peninsulas: Antarctic
Lands: Victoria, Wilkes, Queen Maud, Alexander I, Ellsworth, Mary Baird
Relief:
Mountains: Transantarctic, Gamburtseva, Vinson Massif
Plains: Baird, Eastern
Plateau: Soviet, Polar, Eastern
Highest point: g. (5140 m)
Volcanoes: Erebus, Terror
Climate:
Glaciers: Rossa, Ronne, Lambert
Cold Circum-Antarctic Western Wind Current
Other important objects
South Pole, Magnetic Pole, Pole of Inaccessibility, Vostok station (Pole of Cold), Russian stations: Mirny, Progress, Novolazarevskaya, Bellingshausen
Mark traveler routes

Interesting facts about the continent of Antarctica - this is almost all the information about it. Almost two centuries have passed since the discovery of the sixth continent in 1820 by Russian navigators Bellingshausen and Lazarev. From year to year, something new becomes known about the icy continent, and most often it is so different from what is familiar to the average person that it immediately ends up on lists with the title “Antarctica: interesting facts, finds, discoveries.” The list below contains information about the sixth continent of a very different nature, which can show how unique the southern land is.

International agreements

We can start with the fact that Antarctica is the only continent on the planet that does not belong in whole or in part to any country. In 1959, a corresponding agreement was concluded, freezing any territorial claims for a long time. A zone free from hostilities, intended for international scientific research - that's what Antarctica is. Interesting facts about its position on the world stage are also the existence of the sixth continent’s own flag against the backdrop of the lack of statehood and any institutions of power and citizenship.

Today, over forty year-round polar stations operate on the icy continent, five of which belong to Russia. At the same time, expeditions and research are often international in nature.

Antarctica: interesting facts about climate conditions

In the summer months, the number of polar explorers working on the sixth continent reaches 5 thousand. In winter it drops to 1,000. All researchers face harsh conditions. The temperature in the vast majority of the territory does not rise above -20 º. The South Pole of Cold is located in Antarctica in the area of ​​the Russian Vostok station. Here in 1983, a temperature of -89.2 ºС was recorded.

In addition to the extreme cold, in the vastness of the sixth continent, polar explorers are faced with the extraordinary dryness of air for which Antarctica is famous. Interesting facts are the relationship between the amount of water trapped in the continental ice cap (70% of the planet) and the low humidity in the atmosphere. Only 10 cm of precipitation falls here annually. The so-called McMurdo Dry Valleys have been discovered on the continent. They spread over an area of ​​8 thousand kilometers. The peculiarity of the valleys is that they are almost completely free of ice due to the very strong winds blowing here. Their speed, according to researchers, reaches 320 km/h. Some of the valleys have not had rainfall for two million years.

Reservoirs

Antarctica is a place of contrasts. Despite such dry air and low temperatures, rivers can be found in its vastness. The name of one of them is Onyx. It flows for only two summer months and then freezes. Onyx directs its waters to Lake Vanda, which is located in one of the dry valleys (and again the contrast!).

Lists with the title “10 interesting facts about Antarctica” often include reports of a subglacial reservoir discovered in the area of ​​Vostok station. This lake today attracts the attention of many scientists from a variety of fields of knowledge. However, this is a topic for a separate article. In addition to this reservoir, more than 140 subglacial lakes have been discovered on the territory of the sixth continent.

Antarctica: fish

The impact of climate, of course, is felt not only by polar explorers, but also by all living organisms that exist in these conditions. An example of an amazing adaptation to harsh climates is white-blooded fish. Their blood does not contain red blood cells and, accordingly, hemoglobin, so it does not have the characteristic red color. Oxygen absorption occurs according to a slightly different pattern than in the relatives of “ice” fish. Life-giving gas dissolves directly in the blood. There are other types of fish found on the sixth continent. They all have a substance in their blood that is similar in properties to car antifreeze: it prevents the liquid from freezing even at the most extreme temperatures.

And these are not all the wonders that Antarctica has in store for humans. Interesting facts for children often contain mention of another type of fish. A relative of the familiar cod, it has a unique ability to hibernate for a very long period. It can be in a state of suspended animation for up to six months, during the polar night.

Black and white cute guys

What can't Antarctica boast of? Interesting facts collected for children by teachers or parents also often include this point: there are no polar bears on the continent. It's too cold for them here. On the sixth continent, in general, there are no completely land animals.

The most popular representatives of Antarctic fauna are penguins. Only two species live directly on the mainland. These are the Adelie penguins and the famous emperor penguins. The latter are found only on the icy continent. They differ from their counterparts in their large size and “habit” of reproducing during the polar night.

Two more species (chinstrap and subantarctic penguins) nest only on the Antarctic Peninsula, a part of the continent that extends strongly into the ocean and is therefore characterized by milder climatic conditions.

Insects

Antarctica includes information not only about mammals and birds. Insects are also found here. There are no winged representatives of the class on the sixth continent: it is hardly possible to fly in conditions of such hurricane winds. The largest insects, and at the same time the land “inhabitants” of the continent, are considered to be the ringing mosquitoes Belgica antarctica (they feed on microorganisms and are indifferent to blood). These midges are not found anywhere else on Earth. They live mainly on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Nakhodki

The fauna of the sixth continent has been interesting in all eras. Few people today do not know that Antarctica was once covered with forests. In those distant times, it was inhabited by dinosaurs. Findings confirming this have been repeatedly discovered in different areas of the continent. In the 90s of the last century, a group of American paleontologists found an almost complete one. After extracting and studying it, it turned out that the bones belonged to a predatory lizard, later called cryolophosaurus.

Such skeletons had not previously been discovered in other parts of the world. Presumably, Cryolophosaurus is the ancestor of a whole branch of lizards called tetanurs, the remains of which have been found on different continents. Apparently, they settled across the planet from Antarctica.

Giant

Another major find was made on James Ross Island. The remains of a titanosaur were discovered there, which lived, according to scientists, 70 million years ago. This herbivorous lizard had a long tail and an equally impressive neck, as well as a massive body. The discovered bones probably belonged to an individual that reached thirty meters in length. This dinosaur lived not only in Antarctica; similar remains are found on all continents.

Meteor Rain

The bones of ancient lizards are not the only interesting finds discovered on the icy continent. Meteorites are found in large quantities here. In some areas, the ice layer is literally interspersed with space “aliens.” It should be noted that the frequency of meteorite falls on Antarctic territory does not differ from the average for the planet as a whole (1 meteorite per year per square kilometer). The striking number of finds is explained by other reasons. Dark meteorites are more visible in the snow. In addition, the low temperatures of the mainland contribute to their “preservation” and preservation in an almost unchanged form. The slow movement of glaciers towards the coast and their destruction leads to the accumulation of meteorite fragments in certain areas of the continent, calculated by researchers and regularly surveyed by them.

Antarctica also hides a lot of amazing finds. Interesting facts about the continent are regularly updated with new information after the return of expeditions. Already existing data can be arranged into a very long list. That’s why today Antarctica: interesting facts, photos of the landscape, data on research results, etc., attracts the attention of not only specialists, but also people whose occupations are not related to science.

Antarctica is the first thing that comes to our minds if we see the earth completely covered with ice. It is located in the Southern Hemisphere and is the southernmost continent.

Antarctica was officially discovered in 1820 during a Russian round-the-world expedition led by Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev.

Only 2% of the continent has land visible, the rest of the surface is covered with ice, which contains 70% of all the fresh water on the planet.

Antarctica is home to animals that have been able to adapt to cold climate conditions, mainly penguins and seals.

Algae, bacteria, fungi and some types of plants coexist next to them. The height of the ice cover covering Antarctica reaches 2040 meters, which is more than 2.5 times the average height of the surface of all other continents. Near the South Pole, the thickness of the ice cover reaches almost 4000 meters.

Icebergs

The largest, tallest and largest icebergs in the world were found in Antarctica. In addition, B-15, which is the largest iceberg in the world and is 295 km long and 37 km wide, was also found in Antarctica.

Conditions similar to Mars

It has been announced that Antarctica is similar to Mars in climatic conditions and many other factors. Here, just like on Mars, there is prolonged darkness, there are no natural resources, and some dry valleys of Antarctica resemble the landscapes of Mars. The conditions are so similar that scientists from the National Science Foundation and NASA are using Antarctica as a model for Mars, testing technologies and models of equipment that will soon be sent to Mars.

Only 2 seasons

Antarctica is considered the driest, coldest and windiest place on Earth. The lowest recorded temperature is -89.4 C, and the average temperature is -34.4 C. Antarctica is considered the largest desert as it is practically devoid of precipitation. In addition, there are only two seasons here - winter and summer. During the 6 summer months, the sun shines in Antarctica; the 6 winter months are spent in darkness. It is in winter that the size of the continent increases, and in summer it decreases.

Unique biodiversity

Antarctica is home to many other animals that can only be found here. So, he lives only on this continent. The most famous inhabitants of Antarctica are penguins, fur seals and seals - the largest population of these animals is located here. The emperor penguin is the only species that breeds in winter. Blue whales living in the waters of Antarctica are larger in size than blue whales living in other seas.

No economy

There is tourism in Antarctica, but it is only possible on the very edge of the continent. In addition, fishermen also catch fish only near the shores. There are several research stations based in Antarctica, but they are exclusively engaged in scientific activities. There is an "Antarctic dollar", but it has no legal force and, therefore, cannot be used as a monetary unit.

No governments

Antarctica is considered a zone free of any type of property. Many countries tried to establish their rights to this continent, but did not receive any recognition. Antarctica is a politically neutral land and can only be used for scientific purposes.

Human life

Antarctica is a continent without a population, since the low temperature and harsh climatic conditions are not suitable for permanent residence. On the mainland you can only meet tourists and scientists. In 1978, the Argentine government sent seven families to the mainland to test the possibility of survival on this land. Emilio Marcos Palma is the first boy born on the very edge of the Antarctic Peninsula, and Solveig Jacobsen is the first girl born on the mainland. A Russian Orthodox Church was built on King George Island, near Bellingshausen station.

The best place for meteorites

Antarctica is the best place to study and research meteorites. The first meteorite was discovered in 1912. Today, Antarctica is recognized as a natural gallery of various types of meteorites.

There is no standard time

It is impossible to establish standard time in Antarctica, so scientists living at the stations follow the clock rhythms of their country.

Global warming

Antarctica is facing serious impacts from global warming and ozone depletion. If the melting of the ice sheet continues at this rate, one day the water will flood the entire Earth. Global warming and ozone depletion are also causing the extinction of penguins and many other Antarctic species. Therefore, we must take measures that will help reduce the depletion of the ozone layer and prevent global warming.

The trip was interesting, bright, and I immediately decided that I would definitely take my young friends to the South Pole. But I had no idea what we would do there.

Yes, there are penguins there, yes, this is the coldest place on the planet, but can you really get far on such a stingy base? But as soon as I immersed myself in the topic of Antarctica, started reading articles about this place, all the questions about what to do at the South Pole disappeared by themselves. This is simply an amazing place, very multifaceted, original and absolutely delightful for anyone who seeks knowledge and adventure. And if you are one of those, then read on, I will tell you everything I know and show you how interesting it is to present new information to children.

1. Presentation and map. Intelligence!

It is better to start all geographical studies by looking at the map, looking for the place where we are now and the place where we are going. Just as quickly, it seems to me, it is necessary to introduce children to the main features of the subject being studied, and it is best to do this through presentation. I prepared a dozen photographs on the topic of Antarctica, which eloquently showed everything that I was going to tell the guys soon. If anyone needs this collection, then leave your email in the comments, I will send it to you.

2. Day-Night! Activity!

Just like at the North Pole, at the South Pole there is day for half the year and night for half the year. Everyone liked the active running game from the last lesson, so I used it this time too. At the word “day” everyone runs in different directions, and at the word “night” everyone gathers in one place. It’s also ideal to turn the light on and off :-)

3. Summer-Winter! Activity, sorting!

At both the North and South Pole there are only two seasons: summer and winter. Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth, although it seems to be in the south :-) The lowest temperature that was recorded by scientists is -89 degrees Celsius, brrrrr...

In summer, the temperature reaches -15 -25 degrees, which is also somewhat cool :-) But it is thanks to the eternal frost that the massive glaciers, which are the largest reservoirs of drinking water in the world, do not melt.

In order to touch on this topic with the children at least a little, I prepared a sorting game. In the bag I had summer and winter cards (I found them on Google by searching for winter bingo and summer bingo, there are many different ones there). The children's task was to understand which season, for example, a mug of cocoa, a swimsuit or a figure skater belonged to, and hang the card at the appropriate level on a clothespin.

4. Penguins! Creation!

The South and North Poles are similar in many ways, including the fact that at both you can observe the aurora - sparkling pictures in the black night sky. I suggested that the children play with this fact, as well as the calling card of Antarctica - penguins. The first thing we did was wet the paper with clean water.

We tried to paint without sparing water. And the wet drawing was generously sprinkled with salt.

If you do not overdo it with water, then after shaking off the excess salt, you can immediately begin painting the templates. I cut out little penguins, and the kids painted over the empty space with black gouache.

Well, and the last nuance - white bellies, here the Antarctic picture is ready :-) Many creators after finishing added more salt to make it snowy :-)

Here's another idea for an Antarctic craft. Kamilkina's homework :-)

5. Penguin eggs! Activity!

It was impossible to part with the penguins so easily, therefore, to a little reinforce the theme that they are birds, although not flying, but also lay eggs, thus breeding offspring. They live in large families and choose a mate for life. And only males sit on the eggs. Well, the kids and I played saving testicles. I drew marks on a long piece of wallpaper. The task was to follow the drawings one after another (somewhere on one leg, somewhere jumping over) and carry the penguin egg (kinder) on a spoon in your teeth to your destination :-) We played a lot of fun!

6. Scientists! Fine motor skills, sensory sensations!

Antarctica, unlike the Arctic, is a continent, a large part of the once united land of Gondwana. This continent is the only one that does not belong to anyone and on which people do not live. The only people who spend any time in this harsh climate are scientists who come to the South Pole in search of new knowledge, including about the fertile land rich in plants and animals that Antarctica was before Gondwanaland broke up . The most common way to study is to cut down ice cylinders, the study of which can lead to interesting discoveries or unexpected findings.

My kids also looked for secrets in the ice icicles that were made from silicone IKEA molds. In the middle of each there was an unusual pebble, for this I froze the ice in two stages. The young scientists defrosted their mini-cylinders using warm water, salt, syringes and spoons. And we were very proud of our finds :-)

7. Meteorites! Fine motor skills!

Antarctica is the leader in meteorite finds! And this is not surprising, because it is always easier to notice black on white than, for example, on green or brown :-) Scientists are very actively studying all finds. So my young researchers took it upon themselves to deliver samples to the research center. I prepared two boxes with material for them: in one there is dry snow made from semolina and salt, and in the second there is a favorite mixture of starch and sunflower oil. Each box contains a bunch of meteorite pebbles; you can’t touch them with your hands, you need to use tools. For a dry mixture - sifting strainers from a fixed price for tea, and for a thick mixture - tongs, also from a fixed price.

And this is our research station - a box with cells, it was possible to fasten several containers for eggs, but I found a ready-made design made from chocolate bunnies :-)

8. Volcanoes. Experiments!

Antarctica, despite the frosts, is also known for its active volcanoes. Erebus is the largest of them. And that’s exactly what I recreated for the kids using wet soda pressed tightly into a plastic cup. We caused an eruption of watercolor-tinted apple cider vinegar, first using pipettes, and then scooping it up with spoons :-) And, of course, this was the most spectacular part of our adventure :-)

9. Dry valleys and astronauts. Activity!

There are amazing places at the South Pole - dry valleys, where, according to scientists' research, there has been no precipitation for more than 2 million years. Animals cannot survive there; there is bare land and frozen salt lakes. This is the largest and driest desert in the world, even the Sahara is far from it. The unusual climate of this place attracts astronauts here, because it is partly similar to the climate of Mars, and it is here that new NASA models are periodically tested. We played with this information with the children using balloons on which they drew their astronauts. The task was to prevent the balls from falling to the floor for as long as possible!

10. Aurora! Impression!

Well, the last thing my little explorers and I did was create our own southern lights using sparklers in the dark! There was, of course, a lot of squeaking, screaming and delight :-)

Our adventure was over, but the gaming evening continued. The children could not part with Antarctica and once they felt like scientists they no longer wanted to part with this role, so they played with snow boxes for a long time, mixed their composition, added them to soda volcanoes... And most of the children also asked to take the resulting chemical compositions to our home, and we wrapped them pieces of the South Pole in food boxes :-)))
What a bright adventure trip we had! I will be very glad if our script is useful to you too! We wish you bright games and unforgettable impressions!