impact of tourism on antarctica
2) Antarctica is by far the coldest continent, with the lowest temperature ever recorded anywhere on earth, -88. ... Three basic climatic regions can be distinguished in Antarctica. ... NB: permafrost Any rock or soil material that has remained below 10° C continuously for two or more years Antarctica can be classified as a true desert; in the interior the average annual precipitation (in water) is only about 50 mm. ... The flora on Antarctica is very limited due to its isolation and extreme conditions. ... Antarctica includes approximately 1,640,000 sq km of floating ice shelves. ... Antarctica has two topographies -- one of perennial snow and ice (about 2 km) and one of land (as shown in the map above). The snow-and-ice surface in east Antarctica is an irregularly shaped elliptical dome that rises to a maximum elevation of more than 4,267 m. Antarctica’s highest mountain range is Ellsworth Mountains, with the highest summit being Mount Vinson Massif (4897m). 3) Antarctica is the only continent that has no permanent or indigenous human inhabitants. As a result, Antarctica has not been greatly disturbed since “serious” tourism as well as exploration and science began in the 20th century. With its tiny population of less than 1200 in Winter and approximately 2500 in the summer, Antarctica remained undisturbed with its vast wilderness it’s gigantic icebergs, mountain ranges.