Antarctica attractions information is useful during Adventure travel in Antarctica. The name Antarctica derives from the Greek antarktos, or "opposite Arktos," a constellation in the northern sky. The early Greeks arrived at the idea of a southern continent not by observation of any phenomena, but by virtue of their ideals of symmetry: land to the north must be balanced by land to the south, otherwise the Earth would lose its equilibrium.
Some other early thinkers postulated in a similar fashion. It is said that a Phoenician fleet and a Polynesian vessel reached the Far South, but the real story of Antarctica begins with the Age of Exploration.
During his 1519-1522 voyage from Spain, Ferdinand Magellan ventured all the way to the southern tip of South America, which he called Tierra del Fuego, or "Land of Fire," after the sightings of native campfires on shore. A half-century later, Francis Drake set sail from England to attempt the second circumnavigation of the globe. He made it south of Cape Horn and into a passage between the Horn and the South Shetlands.
Nonetheless, Antarctica remained "undiscovered" and, for that matter, unsought, until 1772. That year, Captain James Cook departed England on a three-year expedition to search for the fabled southern continent.

Antarctica is the fifth largest continent and lies entirely within the Southern Hemisphere. It has the coldest climate on earth. It is also the windiest place on earth. The average annual temperature inland is -70 degrees. The lowest temperature ever recorded on earth was in the Antarctic, an incredible 128.5 degrees below zero. Now that is cold! Cold can do strange things. If you drop a solid steel bar it will shatter. That is one of the reasons that humans cannot live there.
There is no indigenous (native) population, but during the summer several thousand people live there in research and weather stations. In the winter only a very few brave scientists stay. James Cook was the first explorer known to cross the Antarctic Circle, in January 1773. He didn't see any land, though. Land was probably first spotted by Admiral Fabian von Bellingshausen and M. P. Lazerev 47 years later, in January 1820. John Davis, captain of an American sealer, was the first person known to set foot on Antarctica. He landed at a place called Hughes Bay in February 1821. Hughes Bay is on a Peninsula. Many people claim that the first people to land on the true continent were Leonard Kristensen and Carsten Borchgrevink, in January 1895.

Continent mostly south of the Antarctic Circle

90 00 S, 0 00 E

Antarctic Region

Severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing

Iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small uncommercial quantities; none presently exploited; krill, finfish, and crab have been taken by commercial fisheries Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%) (2001)

No indigenous inhabitants, but there are both permanent and summer-only staffed research stations
note: 26 nations, all signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, operate seasonal (summer) and year-round research stations on the continent and in its surrounding oceans; the population of persons doing and supporting science on the continent and its nearby islands south of 60 degrees south latitude (the region covered by the Antarctic Treaty) varies from approximately 4,000 in summer to 1,000 in winter; in addition, approximately 1,000 personnel including ship's crew and scientists doing onboard research are present in the waters of the treaty region; summer (January) population - 3,687 total; Argentina 302, Australia 201, Belgium 13, Brazil 80, Bulgaria 16, Chile 352, China 70, Finland 11, France 100, Germany 51, India 60, Italy 106, Japan 136, South Korea 14, Netherlands 10, NZ 60, Norway 40, Peru 28, Poland 70, Russia 254, South Africa 80, Spain 43, Sweden 20, UK 192, US 1,378 (1998-99); winter (July) population - 964 total; Argentina 165, Australia 75, Brazil 12, Chile 129, China 33, France 33, Germany 9, India 25, Japan 40, South Korea 14, NZ 10, Poland 20, Russia 102, South Africa 10, UK 39, US 248

Anthony Caskey (American, 4 years in Shanghai) discussed visa policies both in China and in the US and their impacts on travellers.
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Under some circumstances, foreigners can get a port visa for a maximum of three months in cases of urgent need and lack of time.
Foreigners may apply for a port visa for one of the following reasons:
Being invited at short notice by the Chinese side to attend a trade fair in China;
Being invited to China to enter a bid or to formally sign an economic or trade contract.

Ordinary visas shall be marked with different Chinese phonetic letters and issued to different foreigners according to their stated purposes of visit to China:
Visa D for foreigners who are to reside permanently in China.
Visa Z for foreigners who come to China to take up posts or employment and for their accompanying family members.
Visa X for foreigners who come to China for study, advanced studies or job-training for a period of six months or more.