Antarctica
5.Antarctica, the second smallest continent in the world after Australia, covers the earth's South Pole. It lies in the Antarctic Circle and is surrounded by Southern Ocean. It is known as the coldest, windiest, driest and least populous continent of the world. Without any element of doubt, Antarctica is the coldest place on earth where water remains frozen year around. It is a frozen desert with very little precipitation. The temperature in the middle of the continent remains much colder as compared to the temperature on the coasts. The continent sees two seasons; summer and winter. Summers are normally sunny, whereas the continent sees no sun in winters. When it snows in Antarctica, it doesn't usually melt. The snow freezes layer over layer before it gets hard and transform into thick sheets of ice, called ice sheets. The adverse weather conditions in Antarctica make it hard for people to live here for a longer period of time. Tourists usually visit Antarctica in summers. Antarctica's oceans are home to many whales, seals and penguins.
Antarctica is the only continent that is completely deprived of bushes and trees. Vegetation of the continent is mainly composed of algae and mosses. The male "Emperor Penguin" is the only warm-blooded animal that survives in the frosty weather of this frozen desert. The female penguin hibernates during the entire winter and comes out to hatch eggs.
NASA and various other countries are conducting researches in Antarctica; trying hard to alleviate their concerns regarding this frozen dessert. There are about 70 research stations of 30 different countries in Antarctica. They aim to examine the changes taking place in this continent. The scientists are carrying extensive researches to examine the influence of earth's temperature on its ice sheets. Similarly, they are interested in knowing the influence that this frozen land exerts on the earth's climate. Some of their other projects include the study of penguins, fish, global warming, glaciology, astronomy and climatology.
NASA asserts that Antarctica and Mars have a lot of things in common. Both the places are extremely cold and dry. It has further informed about the existence of meteorites in Antarctica. They say it's a good place to study about meteorites and other rocks that fall form space because it's easier to locate them on the white ice.
Europe
6.A continent is defined as the earth's main continuous expansion on land. A continent is a huge mass of land primarily defined in terms of convention. There are currently seven continents in the world out of which Europe is the second smallest continent. Europe shares its boundaries with Arctic Ocean in the North, by Atlantic Ocean in the West. In the south of Europe lies the Mediterranean Sea and to the East, its boundary is vague and blurred. Considering in terms of area, Russia is the largest country in Europe occupying a territory of 17,098,242 km square. The smallest and least populated country in Europe is The Vatican City with a population as low as 800 people. Europe has been the birth place for the world's most ancient civilizations like Greece and Rome. Europe has also been the epicenter of the biggest wars; World War I and World War II which wreaked havoc on the people of several countries. The major countries of Europe collectively form European Union that allows all the independent countries of Europe to share a common currency and to unite their economic and military power, are 27. Major languages spoken in Europe include French, German, Spanish, Swiss, and Portuguese among many others. The world's oldest countries like France, Portugal and Denmark also reside in this continent. The longest lake of Europe is Balaton stretching up to 592 square kilometers. The importance of rivers can never be ignored as they have a massive influence on a country's trade and economy. The longest rivers in Europe are Volga and Danube. Coming towards the major cities of Europe, we can easily say that Moscow, London, Madrid, Rome and Paris are the biggest and the most important one. The Europeans have made great progress in the economy and has emerged as the major economic powers of the world. The prime sectors of its economy include transport, energy and research whereas EU is the world's biggest exporter and second-biggest importer.
Australia
7.Australia is a lonely continent on the surface of the earth. It is the world's smallest continent whose total area is 7,682,300 square kilometers. Australia is a highly diverse continent. It has extremes of weather, a stunning variety of flora and fauna, snow-capped mountains, vast stretches of deserts, frightening marshes and fertile flatland. It has been home to races and people creating socio-culture diversity matching its bio-diversity. It has had as many languages as the communities inhabiting here but English is the official language of Australia. The Common Wealth of Australia is comprises of six states, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Vitoria and Western Australia and two territories_ the Australian capital territory and the Northern territory. Its more than ideal geographic location which exercises a profound influence on its economy. Tasmania, one of the finest lakes in the world, contributes significantly to its economy by attracting a lot of tourists. Its distinct position on the earth determines its climate and topography. Australia occupies four different climate zones, Sub equatorial, Tropical, Subtropical and Temperate. Two-thirds of the Australia is arid and doesn't support vegetation. Its climatic diversity gives rise to natural hazards in the form of thunderstorm, droughts, occasional floods and frequent bushfires.
The predominant country on this continent is Australia which is a high metropolitan country with has multi-diverse cultures and languages, rich in valuable treasure of wildlife and exotic beaches. It is the world 18th most urbanized country of the earth. Being the most developed countries of the world, Australia is also the most popular country on this continent .It is the world's 12th largest economy and has the world's 5th highest per capita income. Australia is emerging as a nation due to its moderate polices such as quality education, health facilities, civic liberties, economic freedom and political rights. Canberra is the capital of Australia.