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Antarctica
 Antarctica - Photos: Martín Rubinetti
 he last continent, the largest water reserve in the planet, the very confines of the Earth, Antarctica is much more than a 14,677,000-square-kilometer surface situated around the Pole. This precious treasure which spans as from latitude 60º South, is at present under the Antarctic Treaty, signed by several countries claiming sovereignty over this area.
Antarctica is continental land, unlike the Artic, which is a floating ice layer. It contains 90% of all the freshwater reserve in the world made up by its thick ice layer, which covers more than 95% of its territory. In turn, this is the highest of continents, with an average height of 2,300 meters.
Inside its extraordinary scenery, most natural wildlife develops around the sea, where whales, seals and penguins -among other aquatic birds-, fulfill most of their life cycle.
Even if the climate change affects this area of the Earth in particular, the temperatures may drop to -40°C, though in the summer and with good weather, the average temperatures in the peninsula are about -7ºC.
In the winter, when the night seems to have no end, the sea ice accumulated in the periphery doubles the size of the continent. But in the summertime, the sun is always visible. Thus, the polar night and the midnight sun phenomena take place.
Records from the first expeditions to Antarctica, which turned out to be real conquests in this challenging geography, date from 1773. At present, the Antarctic Treaty enables countries such as Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Japan, the former Union of South Africa, the former USSR and the United States to carry out scientific activities and technical research on Antarctic soil.
Likewise, more and more tourists visit Antarctica every year, especially the Peninsula, as it is the richest region and possesses the widest ecological diversity. In spite of costs and the violent sea that may turn a voyage into a real adventure, this is a unique experience to discover the most unspoilt nook left in the planet.
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