Antarctica (not to be confused with Atlantis) is a continent that does not belong to any state in the world. He was proclaimed the continent of the world and science. And why?
Where is Antarctica
The fact that this plot of Earth is the coldest is not a secret even for a schoolboy. It is also known from the curriculum in which hemisphere Antarctica is located. Equator our planet is divided into two parts, and in its southern part is this magnificent kingdom of ice.
Southern white land
It is not like any continent on our planet. Endless desert lands, covered with a huge layer of ice, with raging winds and eternal snows. It would seem in what hemisphere Antarctica is located? In the South. But for a person from the northern latitudes, the south is certainly associated with heat and the sun. Here, the opposite is true. Interestingly, sunrise and sunset in this part of the world can only be seen once a year. In the summer, it constantly illuminates desert glaciers, which are only inhabited by penguins, seals and birds that can survive in those conditions. In the winter months, the polar night sets in on the mainland, which lasts 176 days. Do not think that only the above animals live there, because there is a place even for plants. Yes, mosses and lichens grow here, a total of more than 380 species, some types of mushrooms. There are beetles and worms, crustaceans. Fish are found in the waters, which is the main food for penguins and seals. In general, for such harsh conditions, the fauna and flora are very diverse.
Antarctica is located at the south pole and, together with all the islands, which are scattered around it up to 50 ° -60 ° south latitude, occupies an area called Antarctica. The prefix "anti" means "against", it turns out - "against the Arctic." This name was given on the basis of which hemisphere Antarctica is located in relation to the previously named other cold part of the world located at the North Pole. Although long before Antarctica was discovered, humanity suspected that somewhere in the extreme south of the Earth there was a mainland. However, for some reason they hoped that there were huge deposits of gold, even a name was given - the Unknown Southern Land. Already now, after hundreds of years of research, it is clear that there are not a lot of gold reserves there, except to consider as a jewel a huge amount of fresh water in frozen form.
Russians and Antarctica
The hemisphere in Antarctica played an important role in its study, especially by Russian scientists. Great experience in working at the North Pole affected, and it was the Russians who first discovered the continent. It was the Russians who were able to build many research stations in the harsh conditions of the last century in harsh conditions. Even the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity is. By the way, there was already held the first wedding between a Russian woman and a Chilean, working together on these cold mysterious lands.
Many names of Russian researchers are immortalized on these lands, and a large number of places bear Russian names.
So why does Antarctica not belong to any state?
This decision was made on December 1, 1959 in connection with how important this continent is for the planet. If all the ice in this area suddenly melts, then life in other parts of the world will change dramatically. Sea level will rise by 60 meters, and this is fraught with the disappearance of many countries or parts of them from the face of the Earth. So, the state of Florida, Venice, the Gulf countries , Denmark, the Baltic states will go under water. Crimea will become an island, much smaller than now, and Australia will become the sea at all. What can we say about the climate, in the creation of which Antarctica plays a role commensurate with the Gulf Stream. Therefore, it is better not to violate the structure and integrity of the mainland.
The place where Antarctica is located is invaluable for scientific and research activities, including for space exploration and the influence of the Sun on our planet. Different states conduct only scientific work on the continent and share their experiences with each other, to which they were obliged by the Madrid Protocol of 1991. Where Antarctica is located, people do not live permanently. Scientists spend no more than a year in these places, and then others replace them. And then, at what pole Antarctica is located, it should not be misleading: it is far from a sweet, warm southern country.