Antarctic facts for kids
The Antarctic is the cold area around the Earth's South Pole. It's like the opposite of the Arctic region, which is around the North Pole. The Antarctic includes the huge continent of Antarctica and all the ice, water, and islands in the Southern Ocean.
Contents
Amazing Antarctic Animals
Many different animals live in Antarctica for at least part of the year. They are specially adapted to survive in this icy place. Here are some of the amazing creatures you might find:
- Seals
- Penguins
- South Georgia pipits (a type of bird)
- Albatrosses (large seabirds)
- Antarctic petrels (another seabird)
- Whales, including huge blue whales
- Fish, like the Antarctic icefish and Antarctic toothfish
- Squid, including the giant colossal squid
- Tiny Antarctic krill, which are like small shrimp and a main food source for many animals
Most of the Antarctic continent is always covered by thick ice and snow. Less than 1% of the land is bare. Because of this, there are only two types of flowering plants: Antarctic hair grass and Antarctic pearlwort. However, you can find many kinds of mosses, liverworts, lichens, and fungi growing there.
Protecting the Antarctic Environment
The Antarctic is home to some of the world's largest protected areas. These special zones help keep the wildlife and environment safe. One huge protected area is the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Marine Protection Area. It was created in 2012 and covers over 1 million square kilometers! That's bigger than the Greenland National Park. Another very large protected area is the Ross Sea Marine Protection Area, which is even bigger at 1.55 million square kilometers. These areas are important for protecting the unique animals and plants of the Antarctic.
Understanding Time in Antarctica
Because Antarctica is right around the South Pole, it technically crosses all time zones. This can be a bit confusing! To make things easier, time zones in Antarctica are usually based on which country claims a certain area. Or, they use the time zone of the country that owns a research station or supplies it. So, different parts of Antarctica might follow different times.
Images for kids
-
The Antarctic Plate
-
The Antarctic (without its periphery of unattached sea ice, a composite satellite image)
-
Location of the Antarctic on a globe of the world
-
At the Port of Ushuaia, Argentina there is the Antarctic Unit
-
Moubray Bay and Mount Herschel, Eastern Antarctica
-
The Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, the geographic South Pole is signposted in the background
-
Ushuaia, Argentina is the most active gateway to Antarctica
-
Grytviken Museum in South Georgia
See also
In Spanish: Región antártica para niños
