Info Antarctica Vinson Massif Seven Summits Climbing Team FAQ Emerging Leaders   Interesting facts about Antarctica: Antarctica is the fifth largest continent. In the summer, it is 5.5 million square miles, 11 million in the winter. (The U.S. is 3.7 million square miles.) If Antarctica's ice sheets melted, the world's oceans would rise by 60 to 65 meters (197 - 213 feet) - everywhere. A domestic deep freeze runs at about -20° C. The mean summer temperature on the great East Antarctica ice cap is -30° C. The Antarctic ice cap contains about 70% of the world's fresh water. The largest land animal in Antarctica is an insect, a wingless midge (Belgica Antarctica), less than 1.3 cm long. Antarctica is a desert - the coldest desert on Earth. Dogs have been banned from Antarctica to protect the seal population. The temperature in Antarctica once dropped 65° F in 12 minutes.
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