Antarctica is one of the most amazing places on Earth. Here the night lasts six months of the year, winter - nine. This is the only territory that does not belong to anyone: no government, no administrative and public institutions - nothing at all that we are accustomed to on the Great Land. Nothing but scientific research stations. This alone is worth visiting the sights of Antarctica.
But since traveling to the ends of the world will take a lot of time, and pleasure is not cheap, it can be available to a very small number of people. However, this is not a reason to limit your curiosity and deny yourself the opportunity to explore the main attractions of Antarctica. Photos with names and descriptions will help you imagine this icy land as clearly as possible.
Location
Antarctica is translated from Greek as "a place opposite the Arctic." It is located at the South Pole and covers an area almost 2 times larger than Australia, and one and a half times larger than Europe. In addition to the mainland Antarctica, its structure includes many more adjacent islands: about. Peter I, Fr. Anvers, about. Adeleide, Fr. Alexander, South Shetland Islands. The territories on the mainland are named after historical figures and discoverers: Macrobertson Land, Kemp Land, Princess Elizabeth Land, Wilhelm Land and others.
Almost the entire area of Antarctica is chained with ice, and only narrow sections of the coast and islands, peaks and ridges of the transantarctic mountains are free of ice. These ice contains 80% of the fresh water supply of the entire Earth.
Territory of science
In 1820, a Russian scientific expedition led by Lazarev and Bellingshausen discovered Antarctica, and since then for almost two hundred years, scientists around the world have been continuously studying the mainland. On December 1, 1959, an amicable agreement was adopted, according to which Antarctica is recognized exclusively as a scientific zone and cannot belong to any particular state. Scientists from the USA, Russia, China, Japan, Germany, and Chile are conducting work on its territory. Of greatest interest are the searches for new energy resources that this land is rich in, according to researchers. In its bowels are rich deposits of oil, gas, coal and charcoal, as well as precious metals.
Weather
It is difficult to call Antarctica a comfortable place to live - the air temperature here does not rise above 0 even in summer, and in the winter months it can drop to -89 degrees. That is why there is no permanent population here.
The number of research workers living on the mainland ranges from 1,000 in the winter to 4,000 in the summer. But there are regularly tourists eager to see the sights of Antarctica. The season for visits opens in November, and ends in March - these are the months when summer begins on the mainland.
The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
What attracts people from all over the world to this deserted, cold, wind-blown land? First of all, it is a special atmosphere: silence unusual for residents of densely populated lands, a spectacle of incredible beauty of the Northern Lights, majestic and severe icebergs and a unique animal world. The only place on Earth where a person can directly approach cosmic energy is Antarctica.
The sights that more active tourists offer to visit here represent the opportunity to go mountain climbing, diving, kayaking (traveling by sea and exploring glaciers on kayak boats), skiing, and even camping is possible. There are special photo tours from which you can bring a huge number of unforgettable photos. Of course, if you want to see the sights of Antarctica, you have to pay a considerable amount for this. A trip for 13-18 days will cost at least $ 10,000.
Mostly tourists come here either on cruise ships that depart from the coast of South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina and Australia, or by plane from South Africa and Chile.
In the world of penguins and sea lions
The South Shetland Islands - this is usually the first thing that opens to its guests Antarctica. The attractions of these places are literally breathtaking. They consist of 11 large and many small archipelagos. This is the warmest and wett part of the mainland. The animal world is very diverse here. Clumsy on earth and incredibly graceful penguins, fur seals, heavy sea lions are found at every step. But the main interest is the island of Deception (translated into Russian means "island of Deception"). This is an extinct volcano, the eruption of which formed a large closed ring.
Among the volcanic sands you can even swim in the hot thermal springs. Those who wish can also visit one of the research stations, whose work is devoted to the study of penguins.
Desert among the ice
You will be surprised if you find out that the driest place on earth is hidden among frozen water. The dry valleys of McMurdo have not known precipitation for many millions of years. The earth here is freed from the ice shell, it is covered with sand frozen to a rocky state. The speed of the winds that are raging here can reach 320 km per hour. The conditions in the three valleys - Victoria, Wright and Taylor - are as close as possible to the conditions on Mars, which astronauts use to prepare for flights. Unknown bacteria were discovered in one of the lakes, after which scientists for the first time got the opportunity to affirmatively answer the question: "Is there life on Mars?"
Dry valleys are in the first position of the list, which contains the sights of Antarctica. You will find photos and descriptions of these places in any self-respecting diving guide, because the lakes located on their territory are a godsend for lovers of exploring the underwater world. However, getting under the ice layer is not so easy, because its thickness is about 3 meters. Experienced divers have to use explosives before plunging into the incredible world of flora and fauna.
Mysterious Attractions of Antarctica: Bloody Waterfall
On the territory of the Dry Valleys is one of the most intriguing sights - Bloody Waterfall. If your imagination painted an already chilling picture in the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe, or you thought of an old legend with ancient spirits bathing in the blood of your victims, then, as always happens in reality, reality is much more prosaic, but no less interesting. Although the sight is actually quite frightening.
If you decide to explore the sights of Antarctica, you should definitely see the Bloody Waterfalls. They were discovered in 1911 by Griffith Taylor, an Australian researcher. He believed that algae located at the bottom give red color to water . However, further study showed that the whole thing is in the microorganisms that live in the lake. At a depth of 400 meters, devoid of the usual nutrients and the sun, they adapted to get everything they need from sulfites, which are rich in salt water. Sulfite is an iron that, when reacted with oxygen, oxidizes, giving the water a rusty color. This is a stunning example of how living organisms can adapt to survive in extreme conditions.
South Pole Sentinel
What wonders do not reveal to us the sights of Antarctica! You can find photos with the names of the main ones on many resources dedicated to this ice-bound region. Be sure to check out one of the most mysterious - the volcano Erebus. The composition of the lava erupted by him is significantly different from the eruptions of other volcanoes located on the mainland. This is not his only difference. Actually, everything is unusual in it. Firstly, Erebus never falls asleep. Many volcanoes doze for hundreds of years before splashing boiling lava from their bowels, while Erebus is always active. Secondly, it has two craters - one inside the other. The temperature of the cooling magma located in the deepest of them reaches 900 degrees Celsius.
Fans of travel and those interested in the wonders of nature will appreciate the attractions of Antarctica. The brief description given in this article can only infuriate their curiosity and push them on a crazy expedition to this harsh and attractive region. No wonder the name of the mainland is consonant with the mythical Atlantis - here everything is arranged completely differently than on the rest of our Earth. It is full of mysteries and secrets, which nature generously scattered over its icy covers and securely hidden under them.