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General info
Even though Antarctica's name derives from Greek, and means "the opposite of the Arctic", it was first spotted in 1820 by a Russian expedition. The southernmost as well as the third smallest continent of the world is almost entirely covered by ice. It has extreme climatic conditions, and because of it, was never actually inhabited. Since the 20th century, the continent has seen settlements manned mainly by scientists, while only specially adapted animals can survive here. It has the largest desert in the world because of the low precipitation in in the interior. After signing the Antarctic Treaty in 1959, it is forbidden to develop military activities or mining on the continent; while all claims on the continent have been suspended. Neither does it have a government, and it does not belong to any country. The South Pole is located on Antarctica. |
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Surface: 10,000,000 sq km
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