Antarctica - The Coldest continent

Antarctica, the land of penguins, is the coldest continent on earth. The average temperature there is -49 C and the lowest temperature ever recorded on earth, -89 C, was recorded at the Russian Base Vostok in Antarctica in 1983.

One of the reasons why Antarctica is so cold is that the continent's permanent reflects about 80% of the suns radiation. This means that only 20% of the energy from the sun is absorbed.

Another reason why Antarctica is so cold is its location over the Earth's South pole. How much heat an area receives from the sun depends on whether the sun is overhead or not. This is why it is always hot near equator. Because the Earth's surface curves at the poles, the sun's rays are spread over a wide area and so temperatures are almost always below zero. In fact, it is so cold here that no human beings live in Antarctica, except for the most dedicated scientists.

Tags: The Coldest continent, Antarctica, the land of penguins, lowest temperature ever recorded, reasons why Antarctica is so cold