Antarctica is perhaps the most mystical of all the continents and also the most misunderstood. Here are 10 things about Antarctica you should know.

10 Interesting Things About Antarctica

Antarctica and the Arctic often are confused by many people. Antarctica is the land mass at the South Polethe one with the cute penguins you see in the movies. There are tons of interesting things to know about Antarctica, but here are 10 you may not.

1. Antarctica is the coldest and windiest of all the continents.

2. To the surprise of many, Antarctica is also the driest of all the continents receiving a mere sprinkling of rain and snow once or twice a year.

3. Antarctica gets its name from the Greek language. In a bit of deviousness, the term because it means opposite the Arctic.

4. The continent was discovered in 1820 by a Russian expedition, but was not further explored to any serious extent for another 100 years.

5. No permanent human residents are known to have ever lived on the continent and even today only temporary scientific communities exist.

6. Antarctica, not the Sahara Desert, is technically the biggest desert in the world, but the desert is ice instead of snow.

7. The ice sheet covering the continent is approximately 1.6 miles thick on average and holds 90 percent of the fresh water on the planet in the form of ice.

8. The ice sheet was melting dramatically. In 2002, over 1,000 square miles broke off the continent. In recent years, unusual amounts of snow fall have resulted in a thickening of the ice contrary to global warming concerns.

9. The continent is the only natural habitat of the Emperor Penguin, immortalized in the movie March of the Penguins. The penguin, however, also is found on the shoreline of some southern continents from time to time.

10. The continent has no government and is not owned by any country. Many countries have claimed the continent at one time or another. Currently, a treaty exists that grants the continent its independence from any such claims.

All and all, Antarctica is an amazing place. Contrary to popular assumptions, it is one of the driest places on Earth, yet holds 90 percent of the fresh water on the planet. This contradiction is just one of many that arise when considering this amazing continent.