Some information about Antarctica from the 

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Antarctica The Antarctic is at the South Pole.
 

Country Facts

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Picture copyright by Terrie Williams in the Antarctic

 

Area:  5,500,000 sq miles. It is the fifth largest continent - the size of Europe and the USA combined. (and it just about doubles in size in winter as the oceans freeze).

The ice sheet is 7,000,000 cubic miles in volume, is up to 3 miles thick in places and covers 98% of the continent. It hold 90% of the world's ice and 70% of the world's fresh water. If the ice melted sea levels would increase by around 200ft. As it never rains here (it snows), this is technically the largest desert in the world. 

The winds are sometimes blowing at 200 miles per hour and the interiors average temperture is -70F

The ozone hole over Antarctica is three times the size of the USA and is gradually recovering.

The summer day lasts 4 months and the winter night 8 months.

Population: very few residents but there are approx. 10,000 visitors each year and about 80 scientists in many research bases.
Timeline: 1959    The Antarctic Treaty was signed by 12 countries which designated it a zone of peace and science.