Antarctica is one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. In the winter months the interior temperatures of the continent regularly fall in between –112 to –130 degrees F (–80 to –90 degrees C). This is three to four times colder than the winter months in Alaska. It has "katabatic" winds that have been recorded up to 203 mph (327 km/hour), which are much faster than even the winds in a Level 5 hurricane (like the winds in Hurricane Katrina or Rita). "Katabatic" means these winds are driven by high-density air from a higher elevation down the contour of a mountain slope under the force of gravity.

Antarctica holds about 90% of the entire world’s ice, which accounts for about 70% of the world’s fresh water. If all of this ice melted into the sea, the level of all oceans in the world would rise by approximately 200 feet (60 meters). If this were ever to occur, it would cause tens of billions of dollars of damages to the world’s coastal areas. Even with all that ice, this southernmost continent has about the same level of precipitation as the Sahara Desert in Africa, which is one of the most barren places on Earth. Antarctica is also the highest continent in the world with an average altitude of 7,382 feet (2250 meters). To put this in perspective, the altitude in New York City is only about 157 feet.

Next, we’ll see who currently lives in Antarctica.