Vostok, Antarctica

Vostok, Antarctica is located near the Geomagnetic South Pole (see South Pole), at the center of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Its name refers to the Russian research station. The station is 3.5 kilometers (11,484 feet) above sea level.

It is the coldest known place on Earth . At the Russian research station the temperature is regularly in the -30 to the -60 °C mark. This chilly weather is due to the exceptionally high speed of the antarctic winds that travel with speeds up to 200 mph (about 90 m/s) from inland toward the coast of the continent.

The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth, -89.2 degree Celsius (-128.6° Fahrenheit), was measured here on July 21, 1983. Although still unofficial, Vostok Station may have broken its own record for the coldest temperature on Earth. It has been reported that Vostok reached the temperature of -91 °C during the winter of 1997.

Of particular scientic interest, apart from it low temperatures, Vostok sits on top of the world's most southerly lake, Lake Vostok

This station is now cooperatively operated by Russian, American, and French scientists.