Antarctic Circle

Antarctica is located at the southern pole of the world, almost entirely south of the
Antarctic Circle. The Antarctic Circle is a major parallel of latitude located at about
66.33 degrees south or the equator. Only a few portions of Antarctica stick above
the Antarctic Circle, especially near South America.
Coldest Place on the Earth

Antarctica is by far the coldest place on Earth. Winters can be extremely harsh, with
the average temperature for the continent being -70 degrees F. However, the
temperature varies greatly due to elevation and how far south the location is. The
lowest temperature ever recording in Antarctica was -122.6 degrees F in 1983, and
the highest temperature ever recorded was 58.3 degrees F. To make matters
worse, winds can reach up to 200 miles per hour.
Desert Land

In geography terms, Antarctica is actually considered a desert, despite all of the ice.
The area only receives about eight inches of precipitation per year. The Dry Valley
section of Antarctica is considered to be the driest place in the entire world. Little to
no precipitation occurs all year in this desolate region. The high wind also helps to
quickly evaporate any water in the area.
Total Daylight and Darkness

Due to the location of Antarctica, there are times when the area either sees
complete darkness or complete sunlight. For some areas, this 24 hours per day
sunlight or darkness only last for a few weeks. However, at the South Pole the area
will go for several months with having either consistent sunlight or darkness.
No Time Zones

Antarctica is the only place on Earth that does not have a time zone. Technically, the
continent would fall into all of the different times zones, which makes it extremely
difficult to set just one time. Usually, people staying in Antarctica just use the time
zone from their home country.

Antarctica is certainly one of the most unique continents on the planet. The facts
listed above give you just a glimpse of the unique features of the Antarctica
map.There are places on the northern tip of the continent that can be visited by
tourists. Most of these tours travel off the coast of Argentina to Antarctica. While
there is no land animals found on the continent, there are plenty of marine animals
like penguins, whales, seals, and many types of fish.