Antartica
Antarctica or Antarctic continent (from the Latin adjective antarcticus, and this in turn from the Greek ανταρκτικός antarktikós, ‘opposite to the Arctic’), also called Antarctica in Chile, is the southernmost continent on Earth. It is located entirely in the southern hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean. It contains the geographic south pole, so that colloquially and by extension it is also erroneously known as the south pole. Antarctica, on average, is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and has the highest average altitude of any continent. Antarctica is a desert, with annual rainfall of just 200 mm in the coastal zone and much less inland. Temperature in Antarctica has reached -89.2 ° C, although the third quarter average (the coldest part of the year) is -63 ° C.
Although there are records that the first sightings of Antarctica occurred in the early 16th century and, more strongly after the 19th century, as early as the 1st century —with the hypothesis of the astronomer Claudio Ptolomeo about the probable symmetry of the land masses Known until then - belief persisted in a vast continent located in the extreme south of the planet, and referred to in Latin as Terra Australis Ignota, or "Unknown Land of the South", whose existence served as a "balance" for the northern lands of Europe, Asia and North Africa.
Some species of marine animals depend, directly or indirectly, on Phytoplankton. Antarctic marine life includes penguins, blue whales, killer whales, squid, or pinnipeds. The emperor penguin is the only penguin that feeds in Antarctica during the winter, while the adelaide is able to do the same further south than any other. For its part, the Rockhopper penguin has distinctive feathers around the eyes, and it is the smallest of all the crests. Other penguins that get food on the continent are the king penguin, the chinstrap or the gentú.
Several governments maintain manned permanent research stations on the continent. The number of people conducting and supporting scientific research and other work on the mainland and its nearby islands ranges from 1,000 in winter to around 5,000 in summer, giving it a population density of between 70 and 350 inhabitants per million. of square kilometers right now. Many of the stations are staffed year-round, winter staff who typically arrive from their home countries for a one-year assignment.