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Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth. It is the largest frozen desert with very little
precipitation; the South Pole itself receives almost none. Temperatures reach a minimum of
between -85 °C and -90 °C (-121 °F and -130 °F) in the winter and about 30
degrees higher in the summer months. It is also a dry, windy place and has the highest average
elevation of all the continents.
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There are no permanent human residents and Antarctica has never had an indigenous population.
The only residents are researchers, varying from approximately 4000 people in summer to
1000 people in winter. Only cold-adapted plants and animals survive in Antarctica, including
penguins, fur seals, blue whales, mosses, lichens, and many types of algae.
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The continent has approximately 90% of the world's fresh water, in the form of ice. Although
Antarctica is home to many volcanoes, only Deception Island and Mt. Erebus are active. Antarctica
is also home to more than 70 lakes which lie thousands of meters under the surface of the
continental ice sheet.
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