Antarctica

The skua bird is sometimes called a scavenger.

During the Southern Hemisphere summer (Dec 21 to March 22), the Antarctic continent south of the Antarctic Circle experiences at least one 24 hour period of daylight. At South Pole, there is no sunset for six months.

During the Southern Hemisphere winter (June 21 to Sept 22), the Antarctic continent south of the Antarctic Circle experiences at least experiences one 24 hour period of darkness. At the South Pole, there is no sunrise for six months.

Since the continent of Antarctica is 10% of the earth's surface: as large as USA and Mexico, combined, the length of 24 hour sun or no sun varies, as above

The total size of Antarctica is 14 million sq. kilometers. When the Southern Ocean sea ice freezes, its "(total) size" increases to 20 million sq kilometers over the winter, because the sea ice joins with the ice sheet that covers 98% of the continent.

Land Area: 5.1 million square miles
Coastline Length: 11,165 miles

There is no permanent population on the continent of Antarctica.

Because Antarctica is a "polar" region, there is no precipitation, it has no lakes or rivers and is in fact the driest continent. Average temperatures in the Antarctic interior get down to -70 degrees Celsius during the winter months and -35 degrees Celsius in the warmer months. The coastal temperatures are much warmer with a range of -15 to -32 Celsius in Winter and -5 to +5 Celsius in Summer. The interior of Antarctica is considered the world's driest desert because the extreme cold freezes water vapour out of the air. Annual snowfall on the polar plateau is equivalent to less than 5 cm of rain. Antarctica has some of the strongest winds on earth, with some winds reaching 320 kph.

There are deposits of minerals such as coal and iron ore, but there are vast economic and technical difficulties associated with the recovery of mineral deposits.

The Antarctic ice cover is, on average, 2.5 kilometres thick and this means that very little of the land is accessible for exploration, so work would have to take place under the ice sheet.

The temperature in the Antarctic freezes mechanical lubricants, gasoline, hydraulics and so forth, making any mining operation a challenge.

The difficult Antarctic conditions, even when the technology works well elsewhere make exploitation unlikely.

Once minerals are mined, Antarctica is a long way from world markets, and material would have to be transported over the treacherous Southern Ocean. Cheaper sources exist elsewhere in the world, and these will be exploited before Antarctic sources.

So far, the economics of extracting resources from the harsh Antarctic environment have prevented any commercial operations, but Antarctica's climate may not protect its minerals indefinitely.

What does prevent such exploitation is a strong, well-supported international agreement. Nations of the Antarctic Treaty System agreed in 1991 to put a halt to the exploitation of minerals when they signed a comprehensive Protocol on Environmental Protection (the Madrid Protocol), which banned mining in Antarctica indefinitely. This important agreement came into force in January 1998.

Yes. I saw it in April a few years back when I was staying at Silver Sands Resort on the south coast of Barbados. It was high enough in the sky that I could see all four stars. Really a thrill!

Penguins, and seals of various species are found in Antarctica (NOT polar bears!!) In Idaho, there are various farm animals like cows, horses, pigs, chickens, sheep, etc., and wildlife like deer, antelope, bison, elk, eagles, hawks, songbirds, etc.

Antarctica is not a tourist destination in the traditional sense. It has no tourist facilities, hotels or airports. A few airlines fly over Antarctica to show you the sights, then fly back to where they came from without landing. At least one company runs mountain climbing expeditions, but they make it clear that you need to be experienced and capable and fit enough to endure the rigours or polar mountaineering. Unless you are engaged in some sort of research with a large government grant, you really have no business being there.

yes, the eagle

Because Antarctica is a "polar" region, there is no precipitation, it has no lakes or rivers and is in fact the driest continent.

Average temperatures in the Antarctic interior get down to -60 degrees Celsius during the winter months and -28 degrees Celsius in the warmer months.

The coastal temperatures are much warmer with a range of -15 to -32 Celsius in Winter and -5 to +5 Celsius in Summer.

The interior of Antarctica is considered the world's driest desert because the extreme cold freezes water vapour out of the air.

Annual snowfall on the polar plateau is equivalent to less than 5 cm of rain.

Antarctica has some of the strongest winds on earth, with some winds reaching 320 kph.

Satellite imagery showing photographs of the continent reflect the colour of the pure ice on the continent that has been compressed for millenia so that there are no minerals left in the ice.

The reflection makes the continent, which is covered by 98% by this ice, appear blue, because from a distance and in mass, this is the colour of pure ice.

Australasia is a general geographical region, but it is not a continent. It is part of the larger region known as Oceania (which is also not a continent).

Australasia encompasses the continent of Australia, together with the country of New Zealand. Some will define it as also including the island of New Guinea, but because it is not a specific area, New Guinea and neighbouring islands are not always included.

The South Pole is at 90 degrees S latitude and is located on the continent of Antarctica. Because Antarctica is a "polar" region, there is no precipitation, it has no lakes or rivers and is in fact the driest continent. Average temperatures in the Antarctic interior get down to -70 degrees Celsius during the winter months and -35 degrees Celsius in the warmer months. The coastal temperatures are much warmer with a range of -15 to -32 Celsius in Winter and -5 to +5 Celsius in Summer. The interior of Antarctica is considered the world's driest desert because the extreme cold freezes water vapour out of the air. Annual snowfall on the polar plateau is equivalent to less than 5 cm of rain. Antarctica has some of the strongest winds on earth, with some winds reaching 320 kph. Antarctica is the highest, driest, windiest, coldest, cleanest, most isolated and most peaceful continent on Earth.

her name was 'Christian Ross'

hypothermia.

At 14.0 million km2 (5.4 million sq mi), Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent in area and about 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice, which averages at least 1.6 kilometres (1.0 mi) in thickness. This means that the continent comprises 90% of the world's ice and consequently 70% of the world's fresh water.

If all of this ice were melted, sea levels would rise about 60 m (200 ft).

It has been said that people who live and work temporarily in Antarctica are either mercenaries or missionaries.

Mercenaries look for financial opportunities. Since there is no where to spend money on the continent, the salaries earned can simply build up in bank accounts.

Missionaries seek to understand the passion so that they can educate others about this marvelous, exotic, extreme place on planet earth.

When the penguin goes into the water its outer feathers behave like fish scales and keep out the water away from the downy layer. To keep warm the penguin fluffs up its feathers so the air trapped among them will stay warm.

To learn more about a penguin's feathers see related link..

Zero. It's too cold and dry in the Antarctic interior to snow.

There are no native peoples in Antarctica -- so no native food.

You would sleep in a base (if you work there) or in a tent, which is cold.

It's too cold and dry for avalanches: in Antarctica the phenomenon is called iceberg calving on the beaches and crevasse formation on land.