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Exploration & Migration

Why Antarctica Is the Only Continent With No Indigenous Human History

Fact 1 of 264%

The entire continent remained invisible to humanity until 1820.

The entire continent remained invisible to humanity until 1820.

A view of the untouched Antarctic shoreline.

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Humanity survived for thousands of years without even knowing a seventh continent existed at the bottom of the world. It was only in 1820 that Russian, British, and American explorers finally laid eyes on the ice shelf.

"99% of human history occurred without knowledge of Antarctica's existence."

This massive gap in geographical knowledge meant that no ancient civilization ever reached its shores to establish roots.

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