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The Antarctic ( / ænˈtɑːrtɪk / or / ænˈtɑːrktɪk /, American English also / æntˈɑːrtɪk / or / æntˈɑːrktɪk /; commonly / æˈnɑːrtɪk /) [Note 1] is a polar region around Earth 's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole . The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau, and ...
May 9, 2024 · Antarctica, the world’s southernmost continent, is almost wholly covered by an ice sheet and is about 5.5 million square miles (14.2 million square km) in size. It is divided into East Antarctica (largely composed of a high ice-covered plateau) and West Antarctica (an archipelago of ice-covered mountainous islands).
Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent, being about 40% larger than Europe, and has an area of 14,200,000 km 2 (5,500,000 sq mi). Most of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, with an average thickness of 1.9 km (1.2 mi).
- 14,200,000 km², 5,500,000 sq mi
- <0.01/km², <0.03/sq mi
- 1,000 to 5,000 (seasonal)
- .aq
Learn about Antarctica, the only continent with no permanent human population and the largest ice sheet on Earth. Explore its physical features, climate, geology, oceans, and role in global heat balance.
The early 20th century, the “heroic era” of Antarctic exploration, produced expeditions deep into the interior by Robert Falcon Scott and later Ernest Shackleton. The South Pole was reached by Roald Amundsen in December 1911 and by Scott in January 1912. The first half of the 20th century was also Antarctica’s colonial period.
Aug 9, 2023 · Learn about Antarctica's geography, wildlife, seasons, and how NASA studies its ice and meteorites. Find out how Antarctica helps NASA understand Earth's climate and explore Mars.
The Antarctic continent, located in the Earth 's southern hemisphere, is centered asymmetrically around the South Pole and largely south of the Antarctic Circle. It is washed by the Southern (or Antarctic) Ocean or, depending on definition, the southern Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. It has an area of more than 14.2 million km 2.
