Antarctica

People can live almost anywhere on earth, however, one place in which almost no one lives, is Antarctica. Antarctica is the largest wilderness on the planet. It is one of the highest, coldest, and windiest places you could imagine. Antarctica is one of the seven continents of the world. It is larger than Australia and Europe.

Antarctica has mountains and valleys like other continents. However, a thick sheet of ice covers almost all of Antarctica. Even on the warmest days, the temperature is freezing. The freezing temperatures are just one part of what makes Antarctica uninhabitable. Winds of more than 200 kilometres per hour rage down the polar slopes driving snow blizzards. Except in a few remote valleys where rain and snow have not fallen for over two million years. There is no soil to grow crops. Even below the ice cap which is 4000 metres thick in places.

On the coast, animals live by spending most of their lives in the water, which is warmer than the land. And on the land itself, only bacteria, tiny insects, and microscopic organisms are able to survive.

Penguins are flightless birds that are highly adapted for the marine environment. They are excellent swimmers and can dive to great depths (Emperor penguins can dive to over 500 metres). Their shape enables extreme agility underwater; the feet and tail act as a rudder while the flippers act as propellers. They also have a waterproof coat of short, overlapping feathers and a well-developed layer of fat insulation.