Antarctica is interesting...
Lake Vostok
Highlights from the CIA World Factbook
The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency
Area:
total: 14 million sq km
land: 14 million sq km (280,000 sq km ice-free, 13.72 million sq km ice-covered) (est.)
note: fifth-largest continent, following Asia, Africa, North America, and South America, but larger than Australia and the subcontinent of Europe
country comparison to the world:
2
Climate:
the coldest, windiest, and driest continent on Earth; 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; summers characterized by continuous daylight, while winters bring continous darkness; persistent high pressure over the interior brings dry, subsiding air that results in very little cloud cover
Elevation:
mean elevation: 2,300 m
elevation extremes: lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,540 m
highest point: Vinson Massif 4,892 m
note: the lowest known land point in Antarctica is hidden in the Bentley Subglacial Trench; at its surface is the deepest ice yet discovered and the world's lowest elevation not under seawater
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants, but there are both permanent and summer-only staffed research stations
- Telephone system:
general assessment: local systems at some research stations
domestic: commercial cellular networks operating in a small number of locations
international: country code - none allocated; via satellite (including mobile Inmarsat and Iridium systems) to and from all research stations, ships, aircraft, and most field parties (2015)
Internet country code:
.aq
Internet users:
total: 4,400
percent of population: 100% (July 2016 est.)
Airports:
23 (2013)
country comparison to the world:
134
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 23
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 6 (2013)
Heliports:
53
note: all year-round and seasonal stations operated by National Antarctic Programs stations have some kind of helicopter landing facilities, prepared (helipads) or unprepared (2012)
Ports and terminals:
McMurdo Station; most coastal stations have sparse and intermittent offshore anchorages; a few stations have basic wharf facilities