Overview
Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean. With an area of about 14 million square kilometers, it is the fifth-largest continent and is governed internationally under the Antarctic Treaty System, which dedicates it to peaceful scientific research.
Geography and Physical Features
About 98 percent of Antarctica is covered by ice averaging 1.9 kilometers in thickness. The Transantarctic Mountains divide the continent into East and West Antarctica, and Mount Vinson, at 4,892 meters, is its highest peak. The continent contains roughly 70 percent of Earth's fresh water locked in its ice sheet.
Significance
Antarctica plays a critical role in regulating global climate and ocean circulation. It is the only continent without a permanent human population, hosting only seasonal scientific researchers, and serves as one of the best natural laboratories for studying Earth's past climate through ice cores.
Notable Facts
The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth, minus 89.2 degrees Celsius, was measured at Vostok Station in 1983. Antarctica is technically the largest desert in the world by area, due to its extremely low precipitation. It has no native land mammals, though penguins, seals, and whales thrive along its coasts.