Amidst the solitude of Antarctica, adventurous travelers can discover an ethereal landscape that lingers in the memory. Very few have ventured onto this appealingly inaccessible continent but those who have rave about the privilege of gazing upon towering mountains, bulky glaciers and luminous, dreamlike icebergs. Perhaps more than anywhere else, Antarctica reminds those who visit it of the awesome (and savage) power of nature.
Antarctic attractionsAntarctica is welcoming more tourist-orientated cruises and ferries to the region every year, and facilities are continually
developing, with more accommodation, culinary and travel options available. There is now ample opportunity to ascend Mount Erebus, the southernmost active volcano on Earth; to fly via helicopter or venture by boat to penguin colonies; and to really make the most of a terrain that teems with wildlife, with a multitude of birds, seals, albatrosses and enormous whales; and so on.
Environmental concernsSome argue that Antarctica is changing, and by man-made causes rather than natural ones. Many regard this increasing focus on tourism - over 80,000 tourists are expected in 2010, well up on the 37,506 during the 2006-7 period - as disconcerting and wish to preserve Antarctica in its elemental state to avoid any potential environmental damage. Antarctica is still a magical experience that most, given the chance, would find hard to resist. Those who do visit should be aware of their impact upon the landscape and do their utmost to limit that impact.
The last unknownPerhaps the reason behind fascination with Antarctica is its function as a symbol of endurance and survival. Before Antarctica was first spotted (1819), the continent was the subject of constant speculation, spoken of in almost mythical terms as
Terra Australia Incognita - the Unknown Southern Land. Even once known (humans first occupied the continent in 1899), Antarctica seemed inhospitable and incomprehensible and, in many ways, it still is.
Check out our cruise guide to Antarctica for more information.
GeographyAntarctica is the largest remaining wilderness on Earth and is still relatively untouched by human impact. It covers an area of 13.7 million sq km (5.3 million sq miles) around the South Pole and is covered with an ice sheet 4km (2.5 miles) deep. It has no permanent human population other than a small number of personnel at over 60 research stations run by 30 different nations.
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