Elevation: 4,892 meters (16,050 feet)
The 21 km long, 13-km wide Mont Vinson was first measured in 1959 and first climbed in 1966 by the American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition 1966/67. Several estimates of its height were made, but the current figure was not attainable until the first successful expedition to the summit of the mountain in 1980. The mountain is named after Carl Vinson, a United States Congressman from Georgia, a supporter of the research and exploration of the Antarctic. During the winter, the South Pole experiences sixth months of complete darkness and conversely, it experiences six months of sunlight in the summer. Antarctica is the only continent completely lacking permanent residents or indigenous people and current residents number between one and two thousand depending on the season.