Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, and driest continent on Earth. It is also the fifth largest continent, and is almost entirely covered in ice. Here are some fun facts about Antarctica for kids:
Antarctica is the driest continent on Earth.** It receives an average of only 20 centimeters (8 inches) of precipitation per year. That's less than the Sahara Desert!
Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth.
The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth was -89.2 degrees Celsius (-128.6 degrees Fahrenheit) at Vostok Station in Antarctica.
Antarctica is the windiest continent on Earth.
The average wind speed in Antarctica is 10 meters per second (22 miles per hour).
Antarctica is home to the largest ice sheet on Earth.
The Antarctic ice sheet covers an area of 14 million square kilometers (5.4 million square miles).
Antarctica is home to many different types of animals.
Some of the animals that live in Antarctica include penguins, seals, whales, and seabirds.
Antarctica is a great place to study climate change.
Because Antarctica is so cold, the ice sheet is very sensitive to changes in temperature. Scientists are studying Antarctica to learn more about how climate change is affecting the Earth.
